Let's Face The Music And Dance
by LATINSTYLZGIRL
Summary: Bella wants to discover the name of the beautiful stranger she keeps running into at the club every weekend who makes her heart flutter, her mind delirious, and her body sweat on the dance floor. Some characters OOC. Fluffy. Enjoy! Copyrighted 2009 MAVE
1. Cameo

I do not own any Twilight characters. Stephenie Meyers does. That lucky, lucky woman!

BPOV

I hate dancing. I absolutely do. I can't even walk across a flat surface without becoming good friends with the floor. So to even try to dance...ha, yeah right. I hate it with everything that I am.

And it's not like I've never given it a try.

I remember my mom forcing me to take ballet lessons when I was a kid. While all the other girls danced gracefully during a dance routine, I kept being reminded of my clumsiness at every practice and recital -the dance teachers would always place me in the back row in the far corner in hopes that no one would notice my awkwardness.

For one program, I tried, I really tried my best to keep my balance on the stage floor. We had been practicing the _Chaînés_ for weeks and the last few sessions I was really getting the hang of it. When I finally accomplished six sets of twirls in a row without so much as a wiggle, I had finally amazed everyone -especially myself. Some of the teachers were practically squealing and throwing confetti up in the air, raising me upon their shoulders. I was so high on life in that moment because I thought that I had finally overcome my clumsiness.

So high in fact that in the day of the recital, I didn't feel not one bit of nervousness. I was on stage twirling and floating along with three other girls and my big shinning moment came up where I needed to do my six-consecutive turns. Giddy and excited to show the world my accomplishment, I began my steps after the second girl, opened up my arms to help me twirl gracefully when my ballet shoes slipped from under me, tossing me towards the ground, and helping me get re-acquainted with the floor again.

_Hi there, floor! How you doin'? It's me, Bella. Long time no see._

As I saw the floor coming closer to my face, I threw my arms out to catch myself, my hands slid across the floor, making my elbows collide against the ground with a loud thud and immediately reacted to the pain on my funny bone.

_Ouch!_

I don't know why they call it a funny bone when I didn't find this situation that funny to begin with.

But as I looked around my surroundings, the humiliation hurt worse. All sound around me became muffled, time all of a sudden seemed to go extremely slow. The classical music was playing in the background, but I heard loud gasps from the audience below as they realized what had happened. Even though the stage lights were bright on my eyes, I could faintly see my mother's expression of pitty and concern. All the while the three girls kept dancing around me, twirling happily as if nothing had happened. They somehow found a way to scowl at me while I was on the floor, and then like, light switches, their fake smiles would spread across their stupid faces for the audience to see.

I felt my face warm at my embarassment, my tears threatening to brim over, my lungs working hard to catch the air that had been knocked out of me with the fall, and I was still in pain from the impact.

But I stood up, and tried to find my way back into the song which thankfully was close to its end. The second the song ended and the curtains came down, the girls scowled at me once again and walked away from me in an instant with their noses raised high, making me feel like I'd betrayed them.

_Great. So much for friendship._

I walked off stage devastated and searched for my mom for comfort. Crying into my mom's chest, I swore to myself that I would never go to another dance school again. I hate dancing.

Yes, it happened when I was 7 years old, but sometimes events like those stay with you for the rest of your life.

So since then, whenever there was an event that required dancing, I wouldn't join. When a guy would asked me to a school dance, I would politely turn them down. Everyone in school already knew I was clumsy. No need to make a spectacle of myself at Prom.

But as much as I hated to dance, I couldn't stay away from this loud and overcrowded place. Voluntarily, I've been coming here for the past four weekends -always hoping to be able to dance the night away. _Why am I such a masochist?_

My best friend Alice had been dying to come to this nightclub for the last three months since she first heard of it from some of her co-workers. Apparently, it was_ like_ the hottest thing _ever_ and _like_ all the celebrities were _like_ always there and stuff. It was _like_ totally wicked. _Like_ totally. _OMG_!

_Pffft!!!_

I've known Alice for so long, she knew me inside and out, especially the fact that I hated to dance, and still insisted on going to this wretched place. _Ugh!_ I love Alice with all my heart, but I'm seriously debating on disowning her as a friend.

No. Not really. I can't live without her. She's my life. She's my best friend. My sister from another mister. _My girl_, like the kids from school say.

Alice and I have been best friends since junior year in high school. Being the new kid in school in a small town like Forks was like the President of the United States coming over to visit. Everyone seemed to know that I'd arrived (I think my dad, Charlie held a community meeting to announce my impending arrival -as police chief, I think he might've pulled that off) thus making me the center of attention.

I hate being the center of attention as much as I hate dancing.

My clumsiness had immediately revealed itself to everyone: girls snickered at me, boys threw themselves to help me, and then the girls scowled at me for getting the boys' attention. _Wonderful_. So much for trying to make friends.

But then I met Alice. She'd been my lab partner in biology class and seemed genuinely interested in befriending me, no questions asked. Alice is this short little thing, with short black spikey hair, big brown eyes, a beautiful pixie-like face and a tight body to boot. I'd been a little nervous at first that Alice might need some ritalin because she seemed to be bouncing of the walls, but soon found out that was part of her charm. I grew so fond of her, we immediately became best friends. We attended the same college, and have been roommates ever since.

About six months ago we moved down to Florida to be closer to my mother. Also, to get away from a certain person I don't care to mention right now for fear that it would ruin my day.

When I moved to Forks from Phoenix at the age of seventeen to live with my dad, my mom had made her way down to Jacksonville, with her new husband Phil. He had received an offer to coach a minor league baseball team and Renee was totally psyched to live close to the ocean. I couldn't blame her.

I love my father dearly but it seemed like right now was the moment in my life in which I needed to get away from the constant rain and cold weather that was ever-present at Forks. After many debates over where to move to, Alice and I decided to move to the Miami area. Well, it was more out of Alice's continuous persuasion that we move here. Also, as much as I love my dear mother, I don't want to live so close that she'd want to come visit me everyday. We're close enough that we're in the same state, but not close enough for unscheduled visits.

But as much as Forks was a bit tame and wet for me, Miami is the complete opposite. It is hot and humid all the time and traffic over here is horrendous. Just getting on I-95 is pure hell on Earth. Having to get stuck in the middle of bumper-to-bumper traffic for about two hours trying to get to work -because of some idiot with a driver's license didn't know how to drive had gotten himself into an accident- was not my idea of fun. Charlie would have a heart attack if he had to work in a place like this.

Lately all I've been having are complaints about this place. It seems like everything was rushed and overwhelming. I wasn't used to this. I wasn't used to the traffic, the rude people, the high-rent, the constant noise from the neighbors. I don't usually complain about much but this place was really getting on my nerves. As much as I love Alice, I've been secretly debating moving back home to Forks. Or at least to Jacksonville and endure Renee's unplanned visits.

The move to Miami was more for Alice's benefit. Her fiancé and my best guy-friend, Jasper is a history teacher at the local middle school and is considered by the student body as one of the coolest teachers there. It made sense to move closer to one you love, especially if you're getting married soon and the wedding was to take place here. I also work at the same school with Jasper as a Language Arts teacher. This was my first year teaching and it had come with its challenges.

But right now, it was the weekend and I didn't want to think about work, traffic, or anything else that would bring me down. My idea of the perfect weekend is to have all my school work done, have the apartment cleaned up by a decent time, and relaxing by the pool for the rest of time. But nope, it couldn't be that easy. After months of begging and groveling from Alice to go to this stupid club, I'd finally relented with a promise to never ask me to come here again.

We'd finally made it to Miami's hot nightclub, _Cameo_, and I groaned at the length of the line that stretched out half a block. Alice had insisted on making me wear these deathtraps I'd like to call _hooker heels_. Grudgingly and silently I had to admit they looked mighty sexy on my feet. Yes, the heels were extremely high, but the straps around my ankles help me feel more secure. And the dress...as much as I hate to admit, Alice is a genius when it comes to picking out my outfits. I feel most comfortable wearing t-shirts and jeans, which in Alice's eyes is a big no-no. But finally seeing myself with this dress on made my confidence grow tenfold. My little black dress ran down to just above my knees, showing off my legs and hooker heels with sensuality. My long mahogany hair hung loosely down my back with soft curls. The spaghetti straps wrapped closely to my neck down my back, clinging to the lower part of my dress behind me. The dress was not too tight so it was comfortable, but close enough to accentuate my curves and wrapped sweetly around my bubble butt.

Alice wore an extremely bright yellow dress that matched her bright yellow porsche, perfect for the Miami nightlife. The collar wrapped around her neck held her top closely onto her frame, and ended with a frilly skirt at the bottom that was so short, if she bent over, she'd let everyone know what color her thong was. Hot pink. Trust me. She already flashed me twice today. _Ugh._

Jasper wore a simple buttoned-down white shirt with a skinny black tie loosely wrapped around under his collar, his top button undone. His sleeves were rolled up to show off his arm muscles and his black jeans wrapped close to his long legs, again making him look like a runway model.

I'm in trouble. Those two looked so sexy together that I was sure to hear about their 'sexiness' all night long again. I guess that's the price you pay for living with roommates who slept together.

But having to stand in this immensely long line was not going to make this experience any easier. Alice said we were meeting her co-worker here who promised to get us in without having to wait in line. Soon appeared a very hot Spanish couple which made me feel a little less confident. The woman was tall, with a natural tan, dark brown hair and an amazingly sexy smile. She wore a lovely magenta dress that was so tight, I could almost tell she wasn't wearing anything underneath. The gentleman was a bit taller, darker skinned but very attractive, tall and muscular. He wore a black buttoned-down shirt, a black tie, and black pants, looking like he was ready to hit the dance floor. They'd introduced themselves as Carmen and Eleazar and I quickly found them to be very warm and friendly people. I could tell already that we'd be good friends.

But that still didn't make me feel any better. I was still the fifth wheel in this group. I hate being the odd one out. But they'd promised to look after me and help me feel comfortable within the group. _Well, I guess, we'll see._

Keeping the promise that we didn't have to wait in line after all, we quickly made our way into the club. We were suddenly assaulted with loud music and a sea of people all moving to the beat of the song currently playing. _Love, Sex, Magic_ by Ciara and Justin Timberlake was playing in the background, the beats were pumping hard all around us, subconsciously making me move to the rhythm of the music. Immediately Alice and Carmen pulled me onto the dance floor were there was hardly any space to breathe. But it didn't matter because this was the type of music you dance tightly to. I was sandwiched with Alice in front of me and Carmen behind me and immediately forgot the fact that I hate to dance. This was so much fun that I was mentally kicking myself for having denied Alice this whole time. While the three of us dance closely against each other, Carmen with her arms wrapped around me and Alice's back against me, swaying to the music, I saw Eleazar join Carmen from behind and Jasper dancing in front of Alice close enough for me to grab him. We were having a five-way and I was having the time of my life. As the dance continued, our bodies became hotter and sweatier, but I was having too much fun to complain. We finally extracted ourselves off the dance floor to find seats, which would've been almost impossible for us to find if Eleazar hadn't had one already reserved for us. This man was a genius in my book.

As we all took our seats, ordered our drinks (Alice being the DD for the night ordered water), and looked around the club to look at all the lights and sparkles that surrounded us, I couldn't help the feeling that I was being watched. Searching for whoever might be looking at me had been futile because there were so many people all around. Alice didn't want to waste time sitting down and pulled Jasper towards the dance floor again, with Carmen and Eleazar following behind. _Yep, there goes not feeling like the fifth wheel. _But amazingly, I was not disappointed as I kept watching the scene before me. Bodies pulsed against each other while the music blared out of the speakers. But again, I had that feeling someone was watching me.

Looking all around me I finally saw a man staring intently in my direction. I had to blink twice to make sure I wasn't seeing things. I'd only had a couple of sips of my drink, it couldn't have already affected my vision that badly, now would it? Because standing about twenty feet away from me was the most gorgeous man alive. Sorry George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Hugh Jackman, and Denzel Washington. The most beautiful man alive was staring intently at me and it took everything to remind me that I needed to breathe._ Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale._

He was tall, muscular yet had a slender build. It was dark in this place, but I think the color of his hair might be a reddish brown. He wore a blue buttoned-down shirt that accentuated his build, top button undone, sleeves rolled up to show off his amazing arms. _OMG!,_ his hands look amazing. Just the way I like a man's hands to be. Long, strong, but still smooth enough to touch my skin with tenderness. _Whew!_ I don't what's come over me but my skin is warming up all around me and not because I had just come off the dance floor. I had a strange pull to this man and he hadn't even made a move to come closer to me.

Just as I shook extremely dirty thoughts of him moving against me because _Yeah right! Like he'd give me the time of day_. He suddenly appeared at my side and stretched out his amazing hand out to me. I think he was offering me to dance with him. I hadn't said a word and neither did he. All I could do was stare into his beautiful face and hold myself from melting at his feet. I took his hand which felt freaking amazing, sending a jolt into my body the second we made contact. He helped me out of my seat and led me towards the dance floor, neither of us breaking eye contact.

_Closer_ by Ne-Yo played in the background as he took my arms gently and draped them around his neck. I was a bit nervous about dancing with a complete stranger and I think he sensed it. Then I felt my heart break, as a beautifully crooked smile graced his face, making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, though his eyes smoldered all the same. I noticed for the first time the color of his eyes. They were emerald green and the warm and fuzzy feeling I'd just felt inside turned to hot and wanting.

_Breathe Bella._

Wanting nothing more than to get closer to this amazing man, like Ne-Yo's song had been suggesting, I tightened my arms around his neck, molded my body against his strong body. I felt myself wanting more and more, wanting to sink deeper into this man who had this pull over not only my body, but also my mind and heart. _How is that possible?_ I don't understand how someone can have such a powerful effect on my mind, body, and soul in such a short amount of time, only to want more and more. But as he continued to be silent, I did the same.

We danced all night, almost forgetting that I'd arrived here with Alice and Jasper. We held each other tight, like we'd never want to let go. His hand roamed around my body in a way that was passionate but not indecent or disrespectful. His arms tightened around me, holding onto my hips, my back, my shoulders, my thighs. Sometimes turning me around to place my back against him, he'd wrapped his deliciously strong arms around my waist, holding himself tightly against me like he was afraid to let go. His head placed was on my shoulder, his hot breath hitting my skin, his lips tracing along my neck, sending tremors up and down my spine. It was the most amazing feeling. Something I'd not felt with anyone else in my life. I didn't want to let go of this dream. And it seemed, crazy enough to me, that he didn't want to let go either.

But eventually the night ended, and we'd had to go our separate ways. As the lights turned on, a sign for closing time, we looked into each other's eyes as we said goodbye through our gazing. He took my right hand and placed his tender lips to give it the sweetest kiss. And off he went.

_I sighed. Too good to be true, Bella._

But every weekend since that first night, I'd secretly hinted to Alice that we should return to _Cameo_. I think Alice saw through me but I didn't care. Not if I got to see the most beautiful man in the world. Even if he didn't dance with me, at least I had to make sure that it wasn't a dream all along. And I was not disappointed. Every weekend he'd be there. Everytime we saw each other, he'd approach me and wordlessly offer to dance with me. I wordlessly and happily complied. We'd hold each other tightly and passionately like nothing and no one would break us. But unfortunately, every night had to end and we'd had to go our separate ways again.

I have to know who he is. I have to find out more. Make him speak. I was going to go crazy if I didn't.

I need to know who I'm falling in love with.


	2. Where did he go?

**_Stephenie Meyer owns everything Twilight._**

**_BPOV_**

In love?

How could I have fallen in love with someone I hardly know?

No. It can't be love.

I don't even know what his name is. Though I can't imagine it being something simplistic like Bob or Fred.

I don't even know what his voice sounds like. Though I can imagine that just the timbre of his voice would send chills up and down my spine.

I don't even know if he's smart. Though it wouldn't be hard to see him as a great leader.

Things I do know about him:

He's beautiful. Every other man in this world fails in comparison.

He's strong yet gentle. The way he holds me, as if he's protecting me from the perils of the world. As if he wants to take on the role as my protector. Granted, he might've wanted to keep me all to himself, away from the obnoxious frat guys who seemed to forget their manners while their intoxicated.

But the way he held me like he didn't want to let me go. As if it would pain him deeply to not embrace me. As if he wanted to claim me as his and let the world know, that I belonged to him. He held me so strongly against him yet cradled me gently in his arms while we swayed and bounced to the music.

Yes, it would be easy to say that I have fallen in love with him. Just the little things he did to me while embracing me closely, were so significant to me, that I could misconstrue it as love.

Right?

No. It's just an infatuation. Just a physical attraction.

You can't truly fall in love with someone you don't even know.

Just because he makes my blood sing for him by just the sight of him...

Just because my heart beats harder against my chest, my pulse sprints like an Olympic gold medalist, my body reacts in ways that make me blush...

Just because I want to throw myself at him every chance I get within ten feet of him...

Just because I sit in my room and think of him constantly...

My mind is never resting with thoughts of him. My dreams construct fairy tales of my silent, yet mysterious Prince Charming. Fairy tales which I've told myself and others time and time again that are just that, fairy tales.

I think of ways that we could _bump_ into each other.

Like at the library.

I've imagined him walking in, searching for a book that would bring meaning to his dreary life. When in reality he's been searching for the one woman to take a hold of his heart and start his own story with. When all of a sudden, he sees me from across the room, and recognizes who I am. Immediately, it's like my presence pulls him towards me, an invisible string tying us together. While I read to the little children who were engaged in the story with amazing intensity, he would become so awestruck by the way I'd capture the children's attention. He'd want to approach me before anyone else would. Our eyes would automatically lock and I would melt his heart with just my smile and my vast knowledge of books. I would show him how exceptionally brilliant I am when I speak to him of books like _Sense and Sensibility_ and _Pride and Prejudice_. We'd become so intense in our conversations of Shakespeare, we'd forget the world around us and the time passing by. His eyes would bulge at my intelligence and he would thank his lucky stars that he'd finally found the most brilliant woman he'd ever known after searching his entire life for someone worthy of his time and love, always disappointed in the bimbos he'd run into until he'd reached me. He'd get down on one knee and profess his love for me and whisk me away to a life worthy of Jane Austen and live happily ever after.

Or I'd run into him at a supermarket.

I'd find him cursing under his breath, frustrated with the fact that he can't cook, when in reality he'd been searching for someone to make him that Steak Gorgonzola-Alfredo only his dear sweet mother knew how to make when she was alive. (Okay. So, I killed his Mom off. No big deal. I'm sure she would be sweet but, Mothers-in-law are usually not that nice to the women that marry their sons.) I approach to ask him if he was all right, when we'd lock eyes, and he'd whisper his thanks to whomever sent this angel to him. He'd share stories of his childhood, and would choke up, confessing his fear that he would never be able to taste his favorite meal that he's missed since his mother's passing. Even a tear would fall from his eye, causing my heart to break a little. I would resolve to invite him over to my house for dinner and make him my version of Steak Gorgonzola-Alfredo. At first he'd be apprehensive, fearing that he would somehow offend his mother's memory, but resolves to come over to my house. Later on that night, my mystery Prince Charming would appear at my door step with the most beautiful bouquet of freesias, claiming the flower's scent reminded him of me. His jaw would drop at my amazing dress, again thanking his lucky stars for the beautiful woman before him. When I finally set his dinner in front of him, his eyes would tear up at the fact that this smelled just as good as his mother's cooking. And with the first taste of his favorite meal upon his tongue, he'd praise my amazing cooking skills claiming that my version of Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo was so much better than his mom's. He'd vow to never have another woman cook for him because I'd be all the woman he needed. He'd get down on one knee and profess his love for me and whisk me away to a life worthy of caviar and champagne and live happily ever after.

Or in the club where we first met. I'm surrounded by the hottest guys in Miami, all of them begging for my attention. As I sit at the VIP section of _Cameo_, drinking Crystal, hanging out with celebrities that were in fact boring the living daylights out of me with rantings of their physical insecurities and poor little rich boy whining, I see him on his knees along with the other guys begging me for a minute of my time. I stand up before him while everyone gasps to see who I'd finally chosen, and extend my hand out to him. He would be so grateful, he would kiss the top of my hand and hold it with such reverence, that I'd finally comply to give him that minute of my time. He'd be so head over heels in love with me for just granting him this one thing, that he'd stay kneeling in front of me, profess his love for me and whisk me away to a life worthy of royalty.

Or simply, I would ask him his name, we'd start a conversation, and we'd want to listen to what the other had to say. I'd have more reason to fall in love with him because now I would know how truly terrific he really is on the inside. He'd do things for me that no one else has done for me and we'd plan our lives together. We'd want to be married, and have beautiful babies and live long enough to see our babies having beautiful babies of their own. We sit on the front porch of the home we'd built with love for the past few decades and he'd hold me like he'd never let me go. Praying that if God would want to take one of us, he would take the both of us because we couldn't live without the other and in turn, we'd truly live happily ever after.

Just because I thought these things, doesn't mean I'm in love with a total stranger.

No, it's just an infatuation.

But if it's just an infatuation, wouldn't these feelings go away eventually?

Wouldn't I be able to breathe freely as I once did before those piercing green eyes starred in every one of my dreams?

Wouldn't I have forgotten the effect this man has on me? Mind, body, and soul?

I sure hope it is just an infatuation. I sure hope it goes away soon.

Because as amazing as he might have been in my mind -the memories of those four weekends at Cameo taking over my brain, memories of his arms wrapped around me, his hot breath warming my shoulder, his lips teasingly caressing against my skin, his emerald eyes staring so deeply into mine, as if trying to find the meaning of life- it would never happen again.

The last three months had been the blackest, dullest days in my twenty three years.

_Sigh._

It's been three embarrassingly agonizing months since I've last seen him and his face does not leave my mind throughout the day and night.

The first couple of weeks after the last time I'd seen him, I'd been worried. Maybe something happened to him on the way to the club. It was a Saturday night. God forbid, he was in an accident while making his way to Cameo. Plus, the traffic here is horrendous. Something could have happened to him. _Oh no..._

Those first two Saturdays were terrible. I couldn't help but be anxious for his absence, a million and one scenarios running through my mind of what might've happened to him.

I'd been a wreck for those two first weeks. It was nearing the end of the school year for the students and I was supposed to be checking on the student practice essays while at home. But all I did was get ready for the club, and pushed my responsibilities aside for one more day.

I was never like that. Living with my mom taught me how badly she tended to procrastinate, which spurred me to become more responsible in everything that I was involved with. I never let anything hinder my determination to get everything done in a timely manner and always found that it went to my benefit. Nothing or no one ever made me deviate from my goals and plans.

This stranger... This guy who not only held my body on the dance floor all those nights we'd danced together, but held my heart, too. This man has thrown me off of my axis with just those short moments we shared together.

But this stranger never reappeared and by the third week I was pissed. I was infuriated. I was mad at him for not showing up. Another a million and one scenarios went through my head. I bet he's married. I bet he was trying to get little somethin', somethin' on the side. I didn't see a ring on his finger, but it didn't mean he might've not placed in his pocket before entering the club. I bet you he's some kind of player. He jumps from female to female like a bumble bee jumps around flowers. I bet you he's got kids. He's one of these guys who have multiple baby mamas and doesn't know how to keep his junk in his pants.

No, I had a feeling he's not that type of guy. I bet he doesn't even live here in Miami. He probably lives somewhere else and was vacationing here.

Or he's probably gay. I mean, not for nothing, but he did move with a lot of grace. When everyone else at the club seemed to move without a care in the world, throwing their hands in the air, and thrashing around without a steady beat, he held me close and moved well to the rhythm of the music. Not that straight guys don't have rhythm, but there was something about this stranger because he danced with such amazing grace.

Whatever the reason may be, he was definitely not interested in me for no more than a mere dance partner. I guess I might've confused his tender embrace for interest. But it is clear now, that nothing else would happen between us outside of Cameo.

So I was not only mad at him for making me believe he wanted me, but I was infuriated with myself for having fallen so quickly and hard for him. _How could I be so stupid? _I'm not thirteen years old. I don't need to be crushing on anyone so fast. It was fine when I crushed on my English teacher in the eighth grade, but it's not right anymore. I kick myself every time this guy enters my mind, and I want to wallow in self-pity. _Gosh, I'm so stupid._

So for three months, the whole summer, I've been like a zombie. But I've been getting better. The first month was the worst, but now, I'm starting to get myself back into the groove of things. We've just started a brand new year, and have been so busy with the curriculum of my English classes, that I didn't have much time to let my mind wander too far.

Alice has been busy with plans for her wedding which takes place in December. She's been dragging me with her all around South Florida, searching for different venues and getting all of the details together. Alice had asked me to be her Maid-of-Honor which I've been pretty nervous about. Aren't Maids-of-Honor supposed to plan the bachelorette party? As organized as I am, I'm not a party coordinator. Heck, I only accepted being Alice's maid-of-honor because she threatened to throw away all my clothes and replace them with the hoochie mama clothes. And knowing Alice, she would do that. Plus, her world famous pout didn't help either.

In between school, school work, planning the curriculum for the students, and Alice's wedding plans, I've been too busy to think of him.

But at night is when thoughts of him attack my heart and mind the most and I want to kick myself for having this infatuation over a guy I'll never see again.

Though Miami can be a very hectic place to live, it does have its advantages. This morning I woke up to a beautiful clear blue sky, the light from the outside shinning through the baby blue curtains in my bedroom. I love the fact that my room faces the morning sun, and helps me get up and start the day. I stand from my bed to go to the bathroom to brush my teeth, get dressed in my running gear, as I look forward to running around at the nearby community park. I stretch out my left leg by bringing it behind me with my hand when Alice startles me with a quick "Bella", making me lose my balance, and fall into the wall, colliding my left shoulder against it.

"Ow, Alice! Stop doing that," I cried, while rubbing my shoulder. "I hate it when you jump out at me like that."

"I didn't do it on purpose," said Alice, with semi-innocent eyes.

"What do you need?" I asked. I don't mean to be rude, but I'm in terrible pain and it's not even eight in the morning.

"You gotta remember, we have to go to that dance studio Carmen recommended for us. It's today at noon," Alice said quickly.

"Ugh, I told you I don't dance and I've made a personal vow to..."

"Never go inside a dance school again. Yeah, I know, you've told me this a million times, but I'm not taking 'no' for an answer. Bella, you have to let go of your fears and need to learn how to dance without making it look like your having a vertical seizure on the dance floor."

Alice had gotten this absurd idea that I was going to be dancing at the wedding and has been pushing me to take classes for about two months. When she realized I refused to search for a school of dance to attend, she'd immediately called Carmen for suggestions of any good dance schools in the area. Carmen had been a Salsa dancer since she was four years old. She said that it's always been in her blood to dance Salsa and it was one of the best things about being a Latina. She works at Beverly Park, a recreation center in Hollywood, teaching the elderly the basic steps of Salsa in the morning, taking a break in the afternoon, and coming back at night to teach Salsa and other styles of Latin dancing for anyone ages 13 and up.

Alice was so excited to know that she'd made friends with someone who could teach her Latin-style dancing and wanted to join her classes. But she also wants to learn how ballroom dancing works, and asked Carmen where would be the best place to go for that.

Carmen raved on about this dance school in Downtown Hollywood which was home to some of the best professional dancers of Latin and Ballroom dancing. Carmen and Eleazar had learned how to do the Waltz for their wedding five years ago, and they've been really close friends with the owners of the establishment ever since. As a matter of fact, Carmen along with Eleazar as her partner, taught Salsa a few times in that school and had even won second place at a competition as part of the school.

But as amazing as that all sounded, I really, really, REALLY didn't want to do this. Especially since it was still September and the wedding is not until December. But Carmen brought out the point to not wait until the last minute for dancing lessons. As the wedding day approaches, plans for the wedding will be getting intense and we won't have as much time for practice, especially for those of us who couldn't dance. Namely me.

"Alice, I don't understand why I have to dance. I'm not the one getting married. As a matter of fact, the day I get married, NO DANCING ALLOWED. _Capiche_!!!" I snapped at Alice.

"Isabella Marie Swan, this is the last time I'm going to tell you. It is closed for negotiations. You are dancing in MY wedding. You will look amazing. Not as much as me of course. It is MY wedding day. But YOU WILL DANCE, YOU WILL SHAKE THAT BOOTY, YOU WILL TWIST AND TURN, YOU WILL STRUT YOUR STUFF WITH ELEGANCE, OR SO HELP ME, I WILL TAKE YOUR PRECIOUS JANE AUSTEN NOVELS AND GIVE THEM TO THE BLIND. END OF DISCUSSION!"

You know. For such a small person, she can be VERY intimidating.

"Ugh! Alice, I'm going for a run. Hopefully, I'll get run over by a car while crossing the street and I'll be so crapped out, that they will have to pick me up with a spoon. I'd be so messed up, I'll have to be in a wheelchair until January and I won't have to dance and make a complete fool of myself," I cried to Alice.

"Oh, honey. You're not that lucky. Now, go run and come back soon. We have to leave early enough to find the place. Smooches."

And with that, she turned her little pixie-self around, and headed back towards her room to join a confused-looking Jasper who was standing by the door.

_Yeah. Alice was right. I should be so lucky._

Out of all the times I wished my clumsiness would come into effect, it did not throw his foot in front of me during my morning run in the park.

I came back in a better mood, though the events of this morning still made my stomach churn at the prospect of what was to happen this afternoon. I took a warm shower to relax my tense muscles, praying that we would never find this dreaded place, and when the water ran cold, I made my way to my room and got dressed comfortably.

Making my way into the kitchen afterwards, my senses picked up on the smell of eggs and bacon which made my mouth water. Jasper was a good man. Alice was very lucky to have found him. Not only was he drop dead gorgeous, he was extremely intelligent, loved children (he puts up with the brats at school with such grace, he could write a book on it), he also knew how to cook a meal. I love to cook and enjoy making new meals to spice things up, but I'm grateful that Jasper can help out with the cooking once in a while.

As happy as I was for the both of them, I couldn't help feel a little sad at the prospect of not having my family with me anymore. When Alice was my sister from another mister, Jasper was my brother from another mother. We clicked so well together that it was unusual for me to feel like the third wheel. But once they were married and starting their own family, where would that leave me?

"Are you ready?" Alice cheerfully walked into the kitchen and sat across from me, a grin spreading from ear to ear.

I glared. "No."

"Oh, come on, Darlin'. It ain't that bad, now is it?" drawled Jasper, with his sexy Texas accent.

_Okay, maybe if I try a little sucking up._

"Jasper, you are so awesome," I looked straight into his eyes with the most intense stare I could muster. "You are the best guy friend I will ever have," I try to make my voice break in hopes that my eyes would tear up. "Did I ever tell you how much I appreciate you?" I sniff a bit because my tear ducts are not working with me here. "You mean so much to me," I held his long hand in my two tiny ones. "You're like the brother I never had," My voice kind of cracked this time. "I love you man," I throw my head down on top of our hands, shaking my shoulders in mock crying.

It didn't work.

"Oh, darlin'. I don't fall for that. My students try that crap on me all the time. It never works." Jasper chuckled. "Besides, you're a terrible actress."

_Crap._

"Come on, let's go. We're gonna be late. And stop moping around, Bella. It's not going to work." Alice glared, while I slumped my shoulders in defeat.

Alice went to get her purse in her room, while Jasper draped an arm over my shoulder. He whispered, "It'll be all right, baby girl. You'll see. Besides, I have to do it too. Plus, as soon as Em comes down, he'll be joining us as he's the best man."

"Don't you 'baby girl' me, you traitor. You have to learn because it's your wedding. I'm supposed to just stand in the background and hope I don't get asked to dance by the dorks in your family."

Jasper chuckled and shook his head in response.

* * *

**Okay, this was an extremely long chapter, so I had to cut it in half. But the next chapter will be up surprisingly soon, so you won't miss what's next.**

**The Steak Gorgonzola-Alfredo...I've never seen anyone actually make it at home. I've just celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary with my husband Ralph, and went to Olive Garden, in which they make this meal. It's my favorite out of everything in the Olive Garden menu, and was craving it even after I'd had it on Tuesday night.**

**Thanx for your patience, and please, pretty please, with an 'Edward' on top, _review_. I don't know if I suck or not if you don't let me know.**

**Smooches!!!**


	3. Ah, there he is

**_I don't own the lyrics to_ Our Love Is Here To Stay_._**

**_Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight Saga and its characters. I just like pretending their my homies. I know, sad._**

**_BPOV_**

As we made our way up the twenty miles from Miami to Hollywood, my mind drifted back to the mystery Prince Charming and the way he'd danced with me.

_If he was here with me, I'd gladly learn the Russian Cossack dance for him._

_Sigh. __Stop thinking about him, Bella. It hurts._

_I know. I just can't help it._

_Sigh._

After running up and down the one-way streets in Downtown Hollywood, and finally finding my own personal hell, Jasper parked his car at a metered parking space, and we stepped out into the street, looking all around us.

The scene around us showed a lot of action. The sidewalks weren't flooded with people, but there was still a buzz in the air as people made their way around the shops. Looking around we noticed a lot of antique stores, a small playground in the middle of Hollywood Blvd, and some restaurants that stood between the stores. It wasn't busy like Miami, but there was certainly life out here. And as much as I was dreading what was to come, I liked what I've seen so far of Hollywood, Florida.

But then I turned around.

And then I wanted to turn around again, and sprint.

But that won't happen because I'm intimidated by the smallest person I know.

"Don't even think about it, Bella," warned Alice. Suddenly, her mood changed and ecstatic was a complete understatement. "Come on, Bella. I can't wait. I'm so excited." _Squee._

_Gosh, like her voice isn't high-pitched enough, that she has too squeal on top of that._

I rolled my eyes at her, and crossed my arms in front of me as a sign of what little rebellion I can show, while Jasper whispered encouraging words in my ear, pushing me closer to the front door of the dance studio.

I cringed at the sight.

From the outside, you could clearly see people through the glass that covered the entire front of the building. Nothing was hidden from view for the people on the outside. As a matter of fact, some bystanders were watching the people while they twirled along inside.

_Great. As if this whole experience wasn't going to be embarrassing enough, now the residents of Hollywood will get to witness my amazing talent of finding the floor with my face._

We stood in front of the studio, looking at people dancing as if they were in an actual competition. Looking beautiful and graceful, with big, fake smiles, while they twirled around on the dance floor.

I started to back up but Jasper was having none of that.

"If I have to humiliate myself for Alice, so will you. You got that baby girl?" Jasper threatened me through his teeth. Obviously, he was just as nervous as I was.

_Well, at least I'm not the only one feeling as 'cheerful' about this._

It still didn't make me feel better.

We walked inside, lead by Alice. Jasper and I flanked from behind, walking inside as if we were entering a haunted mansion.

_Actually, I prefer a haunted mansion to this. At least, everything is dark inside a haunted house._

As Alice skipped towards the front desk to speak to the receptionist, Jasper and I took a look inside and grew even more apprehensive.

There were children...C_hildren!_...swaying to the music of the 50's. Little boys grabbing little girls by the hips and tossing them up into the air, just to swinging them from one side to another. My jaw dropped when one of the boys threw his partner in the air and held her there. Her skirt came down, showing her shorts..._thank God she was wearing shorts underneath her skirt_...while she flapped her legs above her, looking straight into the boy's eyes and smiling a bright white Colgate smile. I was amazed at the amount of trust and confidence in her face. Then the boy swung the little girl down to the floor between his legs.

_What the hell am I doing here?_

These children are professionals. My time to learn to dance is up. All these six and seven year olds shaking and groovin' to some oldies song as if they were adults who have been doing this all their lives had me crouching down under Jasper's arm. They were intimidating.

_Ugh!_

As we made our way towards the receptionist, I took in her face and it was obvious that she was completely bored with herself. She had curly brown hair, and wore an outrageously tight buttoned down shirt, her fake boobs about to spill out of her top. She chewed gum so obnoxiously, it reminded me of a cow masticating on hay. I snickered at the thought and she glared at me when she caught me looking at her.

"Hello. My name is Alice Brandon. This is my fiancé Jasper Whitlock and my best friend, Bella Swan, who's my maid-of-honor. We have an appointment to start on our ballroom lessons this afternoon."

The receptionist looked at Alice as if she had two heads and was the weirdest thing she'd ever seen.

_How rude_, I thought to myself. But it went unnoticed by Alice.

The receptionist turned to look into her computer at the appointment calendar, and sure enough _Brandon, Party of Three, 12:30pm_ showed up on her screen.

"Yes, I see your appointment here," she finally responded. It is then I noticed she hadn't greeted any one of us. Not even Jasper. She hadn't even forced a smile upon her overly-caked face. Nothing. This girl lacked some serious customer service skills, and if her attitude was any indication of what the rest of the people were in this place, I will gladly walk out of here right now.

Her voice was nasal, just as if someone had been holding her nose the entire time, when she instructed us to sit at the chairs in the lobby to fill out our personal information, our emergency contacts and the reasons why we're were here.

Name: Isabella "Bella" Swan  
Phone: (305) 555-6178  
Emergency Contact: Mary Alice Brandon (She hates it when I use her full name...it's okay...she owes me.)  
Emergency Contact Phone Number: (305) 555-4772  
Reason for joining us: My pixie friend clobbered me on the head with a metal bat and sprinkled me with fairy sleep dust. She told her big ogre of a fiancé to carry me upon his shoulder, all the while he stared at my big butt and kept swatting it, claiming there was a mosquito on it the whole time. Oh, where? Oh, where can my prince be? Where is the kiss I need to wake up from this nightmare because I DON'T WANT TO DANCE AT ALICE'S STUPID WEDDING. WHEN I GET MARRIED, NO DANCING ALLOWED. UGH!!! The end.

Jasper snickered at what I wrote down on the paper, causing Alice to look at it. Her eyes widened at what I wrote. When she went to reach for my clipboard, Jasper took all of ours in time to hand over to the masticating-cow-receptionist.

Cow-face took the clipboards from Jasper, and while she read through the information, her eyes widened, she looked up towards me, snickered, rolled her eyes, and gave the first genuine smile.

_Huh, well, what do you know? I guess masticating-cow-face has a little human in her after all._

_Maybe we should stop calling her masticating-cow-face._

_Hmmmm....maybe..._

We sat for fifteen minutes, waiting for the start of my abusive relationship with the floor to start, when a beautiful, mature woman walks into the lobby in which we sat waiting. She looked like one of the ingenues of 1940's, resembling something close to Rita Hayworth.

This woman was stunning. Her caramel shoulder length hair, which curled at the end, blew in the wind, the dress that hugged her amazing body, ..._Good guh, I wish I look that good at her age..._ billowed along with her hair. It was like a scene from a movie when a beautiful woman walks in, wind blowing around her (though you have no idea where this wind is coming from), and immediately all eyes are on her. Of course, there is fan running close to her which is making her dress sway around. Hey, it's Florida. It's hot all year round.

But the most amazing feature this woman has are her amazing green eyes. Just stunning. But I had the unsettling feeling I've seen those eyes somewhere before. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

She walked towards the receptionist..._good Bella-We do not say 'masticating-cow-face'_...and quietly asked about us. The receptionist handed the clipboards over to her..._oh, great! I'm regretting what I wrote down now_...while she chewed and popped her gum, when her majesty threw her a glare that warned the receptionist to get rid of the gum. You know that look that moms have. That look that didn't need words to go with it, or imply much action with it. The look that meant she was dead serious and you better do as you're told even though she hasn't said anything.

The receptionist quickly cowered before her majesty and hastily disposed of the gum in a matter of milliseconds.

_Mental note: do not to cross this woman. Or her 'look' will melt you into a puddle of goo._

While the woman looked over the information, her lips slowly twitched up on one side, slowly growing into a beautiful grin that made my heart melt, reading my comments, I'm sure. She proceeded to approach us and held out one perfectly manicured hand out to us.

"Good afternoon. My name is Esme Cullen. I'm one of the owners of this establishment and am looking forward to teaching you about Ballroom dancing," she introduced herself, when I noticed that even her voice was beautiful. How anyone pulls that off is beyond me.

Alice shook her hand first. "Hello. My name is Alice, this is my fiancé, Jasper (she literally had stars in her eyes when she said his name), and this is my best friend and maid-of-honor, Bella."

Esme shook my hand after Alice, and extended her hand out to Jasper to shake, when he took it, and gently placed a kiss upon her knucles. Alice beamed the whole time, proud that her man was such a gentleman, and that she got him all to herself at the end of the day. Jasper and Alice's relationship is one of those that are so beautiful and strong, that nothing and no one could ever come between them.

"Well, well. We don't get many gentlemen nowadays. It's good to see they still exist," said Esme, looking at Alice as if saying _Good job picking this one._

Alice beamed and Jasper blushed.

"Well, I'm glad to have you with us," Esme continued. "I'm going to tell you a little about our history, the dances you'll be learning, schedule the days of your practices, and any other little tidbits about our school. Come follow me."

Esme asked for us to follow her, but not before she stopped by the receptionist.

"Jessica, please let me know when my children arrive. I need for them to do a quick demonstration for our guests of what they will be learning," commanded Esme, with grace.

"Yes, Mrs. Cullen," Jessica answered, once again cowering before her majesty.

Esme turned to face us and asked us to follow her as she spoke.

"We pride ourselves in what we do. Dancing has been a great part of our lives and our family for decades. My parents were dancers and so, as it was customary for me to be one too, they taught me how to dance as soon as I started to walk. I started with ballroom dancing, but later on, learned Latin styles of dancing as well. That's where I met my husband," said Esme. A beautiful smile graced her features, as she remembered her days as a ballroom dancer.

She stood in front of a picture the size of a movie poster. In the picture showed a couple, in their early twenties, in a elegant dancing pose. His right arm stretching her left, while his other arm held her right arm upright, under her arm. She had a gorgeous cherry red ballroom dress, that reached down to her calves. The dress had beads sown all over the dress, left one shoulder strapless, and complimented her curves amazingly. Her caramel hair was up in a twist to show off her smooth neck. At once, I recognized this was Esme, but what amazed me the most was the fact that she didn't look like she'd aged much from that picture. In this portrait, she was facing her partner, her smile was genuine and oozed love for this man who was holding her. He also looked at her with all the love he had for her and had the most amazing smile, a bit crooked, reminding of someone that I just couldn't... He was wearing one of those black tuxedos you've seen on actors like Fred Astaire. The back of his jacket reached down to his ankles, his whole suit accentuated his manly physique, yet gave him that subtle touch of gentleness. He had the most amazing blue eyes, and gorgeous blond hair, that complimented his chiseled facial features, his straight nose and breathtaking smile.

I stood in awe of this picture, my mind quickly running through the different movies of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers my mom made me watch as a kid. But this picture was truly amazing as it showed not only the grace in their pose, but the love they had for one another. Absolutely amazing.

Esme continued, "This is a picture of my husband and I. We met when we were in our late teens and became partners soon after. But as soon as I saw him, I knew that he was not only going to be my dance partner, but that he would be my life partner as well."

At this Alice swooned at the words, holding Jasper's hand a little tighter than before. Jasper looked down at her like she was the most precious thing in the world.

_Ugh, gag!_

_Bella, you're just jealous._

_So!_

Esme continued with her story, "I was 23 years old and Carlisle was 25 when we took this picture. We had just won first place in the WDC 1983 World Professional Standard Championship which was held in London. It was one of the best moments in my life. Carlisle and I sometimes stand in front of this picture and reminisce on the days of competition. The blood, sweat, and tears we'd shed in order to be the best. You see everyone thinks that dancing is just this beautiful form of entertainment, something magical as a couple sways and twirls on the dance floor. And it is but in reality it takes a lot of hard work to be the best, even though sometimes, you're still not good enough."

Her expression became saddened for some reason. I just met this woman, but for some reason it pained me to see her this way. No one as sweet as her should ever look that sad.

"So then," Esme continued, "a year later, Carlisle and I got married. We had our son, Edward, a year after that, and started teaching him to dance as soon as he started walking. A year after Edward was born, Carlisle and I started teaching ballroom dancing to people in our community to make a living and decided to open up a school. We've been established since 1986 and we help our students get into competitions for themselves. My son Edward is also a professional dancer in both the Ballroom and Latin competitions. You'll get to meet him later. His partner is my niece, Rosalie, who's also our adopted daughter. But she specializes in Latin dances, so they tend to lean more into that type of competition, even though my son can do both." Esme said with a sense of pride of her son. It wasn't smug but more like she was proud of his accomplishments.

"So, your son doesn't participate in the Ballroom competitions?" I asked. But maybe, I shouldn't have asked that question because as soon as I did, her expression turned serious, which she turned into a tight smile when she replied.

"Edward doesn't have a dance partner for Ballroom dances," Her short answer gave me the hint that I was entering dangerous territory.

_Great, Bella. You're already on her bad side._

"But he's made us proud and I couldn't have asked for a better son. Don't you agree, sweetheart?" a strong male voice came from behind us, and we turned to see who it was.

Before us was the same man from the picture. Older, but still just as a handsome. He was in great shape for someone his age, and still wore that beautiful crooked smile he had in his picture. He was wearing grey khaki pants, and a white short sleeved shirt that it was very common around in Miami. He walked so gracefully towards us, radiating confidence. Esme was wearing that beautiful smile from before and stepped in by her husband's side. They seemed to fit well together. Carlisle brought his arm around her shoulder and they looked just as happy as the day they took that picture from their competition so many years ago.

"Hello. My name is Carlisle Cullen and we're glad that you've chosen us for your dancing lessons for your wedding."

The three of us introduced ourselves as Jasper shook his hand, and Carlisle graced a kiss upon Alice's knuckles. When he kissed my right hand, I almost giggled like a thirteen year old.

_Boy, oh boy. I don't know how Esme does not keep a baseball bat with her at all times. She must be swatting flies left and right._

"So, now that we've introduced ourselves, let's talk about the different dances we offer here at our school," said Carlisle. "We recommend to learn the Waltz first seeing as it's traditional for a wedding. But we can add on anything else you'd like as we go along. A lot of couples want to learn Latin dances such as the Rumba, Salsa, and Mambo, since their more fun and sensual. We can teach Merengue and Bachata which is very popular with young people nowadays in the Spanish clubs, also. What do you say?"

"I want to learn it all," squealed Alice, clapping her hands faster than I thought possible.

"Ah, baby," interrupted Jasper while he tried to calm Alice down. "I love you, honey. But I think I'm already doin' a lot with learning the Waltz. Darlin', remember, I have two left feet."

Carlisle chuckled, "Oh, not to worry, son. We specialize in left-footed people, chickens, people with poor posture, and people with no sense of balance."

"See, Bella. They can even teach you how to dance. Isn't that exciting?" said Alice, bouncing on her feet.

"Yeah, wonderful," I grumbled.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, can I ask one small favor, if you don't mind?" asked Alice exasperatedly with her puppy-dog eyes. They nodded for her to continue. "Would you grace us with a dance to show both Jasper and Bella that it is not as bad as they make it seem?"

"Oh, okay," Carlisle said in mock disappointment. Esme chuckled a bit and we followed them inside an empty classroom.

It was just like the classroom I'd attended when I went to dance school and just being here had me breaking in a sweat. One wall was all mirrors, and another wall was all glass as people stood outside watching the scene unfolding inside.

_Okay. This is not funny anymore. I don't want to be here. Nothing good can come of this._

We stood by the doorway of the classroom. Alice and Jasper held their hands in anticipation of the dance Esme and Carlisle were gracing us with. I stood by their side as they blocked the entrance of the room. I'm sure they didn't purposely plan to block me in, but I felt trapped and my panic started to build.

Esme stood in the middle of the classroom while Carlisle walked towards a stereo in the back of the classroom. Esme explained that they were going to introduce to us to the Waltz with the _Stationary Box_, continuing with the _Rotating Box_, blending into _Progressive_ and _Twinkle_.

_Whatever that means_.

Carlisle played _Our Love is Here To Stay_ by Frank Sinatra, surprisingly calming my nerves and making me sway a little to the song.

**_It's very clear our love is here to stay.  
Not for a year, but ever and a day.  
The radio and the telephone.  
And the movies that we know.  
May just be passing fancies and in time may go.  
But, oh my dear, our love is here to stay.  
Together were going a long, long way.  
In time the rockies may crumble,  
Gibraltar may tumble, they're only made of clay.  
But our love is here to stay._**

Even though we've just met, this song seems to fit Carlisle and Esme perfectly. Carlisle walked up to his partner (in dance and in life), took his stance by lifting his arms at about shoulder length carrying Esme's arms along with him. They started to sway from one side to the other, shuffling their feet in the shape of a box. _Oh the Stationary Box. I get it._

After a few seconds they started rotating around, and moving along with the melody, beautiful smiles gracing their faces just like in the portrait in the hallway. Carlisle twirled Esme as he stretched high enough to give her space to turn, and then they started moving around the room, taking up the entire space of it, and almost forgeting that they were demonstrating to their guests. People stood outside the window and their lips involuntarily lifted into smiles as they watched the happy couple, though they couldn't hear the music playing on the outside. They finished with a curtsy and we couldn't help but applaud their performance. It seemed like never, in their twenty some-odd years, had they stopped dancing professionally. _Amazing._

After their dance, we started making plans for practice sessions, opting that Tuesday afternoons would be better since it was Jasper and mine's least busy days at school and Alice normally had Tuesdays off anyway.

Esme suddenly lifted her head and her beatific smile brightened the room.

"There you guys are. Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you," Esme called out towards a couple walking across the classroom from the door.

I saw a gorgeous blonde walk into the classroom with a big smile on her face. This woman's beauty made me feel so inferior that it shook my confidence, or what little confidence I had left. She had juicy, pouty lips and amazing blue eyes that matched Carlisle's. She had a body like an hour-glass, her royal blue wrap-around dress that reached down to just above her knees, accentuating her curves beautifully. Her long blonde hair waved down to the middle of her back. She seemed to be a bit taller than me, but with her dancing shoes, she was almost tall enough to cover the person on the other side.

I could only tell by his sillouhette that this man was tall, lean and very fit. But that's all I could see of him, and decided not to ogle at the couple any more than I had, so as to not bring my self-esteem down anymore.

Carlisle kept talking to us about the different dances they would teach us, and guaranteed that we would be amazing at the wedding. Esme kept talking quietly with the couple when I noticed that the guy standing by the blonde looked very familiar. But as Carlisle walked over to Esme and the couple, Jasper and Alice stood in my way and blocked me from their view to ask me a question.

"So, what do you guys, think?" asked Alice while she cast hopeful look from Jasper to me.

"Babe, you know I'd do anything for you. And besides, it doesn't look too bad," Jasper concluded.

"What about you?" asked Alice, looking nervously at me.

"I'm here. Aren't I?" I answered as Alice rolled her eyes at me.

Carlisle approached us. "Hey guys, I want to introduce you to my son, Edward and my niece, Rosalie."

As the three of us approached the other group, they turned around so we can finally take in their faces.

At that moment, my heart sprinted faster than it has ever beat before. Standing in between the gorgeous blonde and Esme, was my mystery Prince Charming.

At that moment, I felt myself get a little light headed and my breaths became shorter.

_He's here. Oh my gosh, that's him. It's really him._

Standing there in all his beauty, he was wearing a buttoned-down white shirt, his long sleeves rolled up to show off his freaking amazing forearms, a loosened skinny black tie around his neck, and tight black jeans, that showed of his sculptured legs. This Adonis' facial features resembled that of Carlisle, but had the incredibly striking emerald color of Esme's eyes. His coppery brown hair was a tussled mess, but it complimented his whole look. Rugged, yet handsome? Beautiful, yet manly? Words could not describe how beautiful this man was. He was even more gorgeous than I remembered, and my face couldn't help but break out into the biggest smile. It felt as if my face would rip in half.

After three agonizing months of not seeing him, of not feeling him around me. He's here, he's been here all along.

_Oh, thank you. Thank you, thank you._

I even started bouncing in an Alice-like fashion at the sight of him.

I was so giddy that I hadn't realized Esme introducing them to us. But I figured that the blonde was Rosalie. And he...he was Edward.

_Edward._

I knew his name couldn't be something mundane like Fred or Joe.

Rosalie raised her hand to shake Alice's and mine. Then, turned to look at Jasper, and automatically raised her hand a little higher, expecting him to kiss it. Rosalie looked smug, the attention she was getting apparently boosting up her ego even more.

But I was too busy noticing Edward to pay any mind towards Rosalie.

Edward stretched out his arm towards Jasper for a handshake and kissed Alice's right hand.

Images of that first night, as he kissed my knuckles gently, hit me like a strong, yet welcoming scent.

_Ah! To feel his lips upon my skin would make me the happiest woman in the world._

But when he finally turned to face me, he stiffened. A dozen different emotions plagued his face. Possibly trying to remember if he'd seen me somewhere? I lifted my face towards him and smiled. Perhaps he might figure out who I was then, and we can finally get to know each other.

But as he finally recognized who I was, he just stood there. And for a couple of seconds, his face was one of indifference. He took my hand a bit roughly, kissed it quickly and let it go. As if he's just being polite and this was all I was going to get.

My heart stopped, my face turned red and I could feel the tears wanting to pool in my eyes.

_No. Get it together. Get it together._

_Maybe he doesn't remember me. Maybe it's been too long since we've last seen each other. _

_It was rather dark in the club those few times we met up. _

_But that doesn't make sense. He kept looking specifically for me. He recognized me every time._

_Maybe I did something wrong. _

_Maybe he really wasn't as interested as I thought he was._

_Maybe I wasn't good enough for him. _

_I guess, it makes sense. _

_I'm so ordinary, so blah._

And he stands there like some pagan god of beauty, tall and lean, his bronze disheveled bed-head hair sticking up beautifully, his once piercing-green eyes, looked vacant as he took in my appearance.

_I want to get out of here._

This cannot be happening. Time and time again I've dreamt that this man would finally sweep me off of my feet, and take me to be his, and he stands here, ignoring me as if I didn't exist.

Ignoring me as if he hadn't danced with me, hadn't seeked me out, out of all of the women in the club, and hadn't held me tight as if he were right at home with me.

_Jerk._

But I'm not going to cause a scene. I will not show him the effect he's been having on me these last four pathetic months, as I try desperately to regulate my breathing.

"Bella, are you okay?" Jasper asked, sensing my distress.

I merely nodded my head and prayed for the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

Jasper let it go for now, but knowing Alice, this would not be over.

As we stood in front of Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and my...Edward, I'd forgotten that we were still at the dance studio and that people were still looking through the window, waiting for something else to happen.

Then Carlisle's deep voice woke me out of my reverie. "Now, my son, Edward and niece, Rosalie, are going to demonstrate the Cha Cha, one of the dances we offer to teach in this school. It's pretty popular among couples looking to spice up their life." He winked.

Alice was bouncing on her feet, while Jasper laid his palm upon her shoulder to soothe her down. In my periphery, I noticed Jasper watching me cautiously, but I ignored him the entire time.

Carlisle walked back towards the stereo system, and some kind of Latin music started playing in the background. Guessing the new couple was about to show us a new dance, Jasper, Alice and I stepped back against the wall to give them enough space to move.

Esme stood by my side, and looked at me with concern in her eyes. Giving her a weak smile, I told her I was still nervous about all of this. I don't think she believed me but decided against pushing me any further.

To get her unnecessary concern off of me, I asked who the song belonged to. She responded that it was a _Tito Puente_ song as Edward and Rosalie took their places on the dance floor. I turned my eyes towards the couple and kept feeling my heart break into a million pieces.

_Gosh, he's beautiful._

But as heart broken as I was in that moment, I couldn't help but fall a little deeper for Edward. He began to move his hips sensually from side to side, as if winding himself to unleash the power of his moves. His strong arms waved around him, those same arms that held me gently to him three months ago.

_Stop it! Stop it! You need help._

Rosalie stepped in front of him to shake her hips and twirled around, stretching her right arm up while her left hand rubbed down her side sensually. Edward took her in his arms with such an intensity, that it was making my knees go weak. And though, he chose to ignore me this whole time, I couldn't help but imagine me in Rosalie's place.

Edward holding me close, his arms wrapping around my torso, his massive chest pressing against me. He dips me low, while he gently places his hand around my calf to pull it up against his side. Then, he moves his hand up my leg, caressing my thigh, while his other arm holds me close to him with certainty. Our hot breaths making us a little bit warmer, his wet lips slowly coming in contact with my lips. His emerald stones staring into my eyes, searching for my heart that beat for him double-time.

_Keep it together, Bella. Don't embarrass yourself._

Applause broke out in the room and outside the window which woke me from my daydream, and brought me back to the reality which I so hated in this moment.

Though they were cousins, I couldn't help but think that Edward and Rosalie looked good together. Like he belongs to someone as gorgeous and sensual as her.

_That's not me_, I realized, and it broke me even more to acknowledge that.

"Wow, that was amazing, you guys. I am sold. Sign me up for the next class," Alice bounced happily on her tiny feet, everyone chuckling at her excitement.

Everyone except for Edward and me.

While I stood, solemn and desperate to get out of here, Edward stood stoic on the ground and gave no signs of ever knowing me.

"Well, I guess we'll see you guys starting this Tuesday night. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call me," informed Esme. "I want to help you out with your learning process and make it as fun and easy as possible. Oh, and one more thing, every third Saturday of each month, we hold a party for the students. Everyone ages 18 and up are more than welcome to join and it's one of the high points in our school. Professionals and Amateurs alike get to dance everything from the Waltz and the Foxtrot to the Rumba and the Hustle."

"Yes, definitely. That sounds like so much fun. Thank you so much," cried Alice in excitement.

As some of them shook hands, Edward immediately walked out of the room, the only other one to notice besides me was his mother, Esme. She had a curious look on her face but shrugged it off and came to join us.

We finally left that wretched place, and started on our way down to Miami.

While Alice talked non-stop about the dance classes, I got lost in thoughts of everything that happened today.

I thought of how much I've been dreading to come to the dance studio this morning.

I thought that if I had my mystery Prince Charming with me, this wouldn't be so bad.

I thought of how lonely I felt to be in a room with two happy couples.

I thought about when I first laid my eyes on him after three months, but he was indifferent towards me.

I thought of how beautifully he moved every part of his amazing body, and I was no where close to him to enjoy it like I'd done before.

I thought of how quickly he made his exit once he got his applause from everyone.

_Gosh! Am I that hideous in the light? _

All those other times he held me close, and never let me go throughout the night, and now in the light he was a totally different person.

He _is_ a totally different person. Though he had those same beautiful green eyes, same disheveled bronze hair, had the same exact body that pressed up against me back in Cameo, he was a total stranger once again.

It didn't matter that I knew him now.

Things about him I know now:

His name is Edward Cullen.

He's a professional dancer that competes in both Latin and Ballroom competitions.

He's got amazing parents who are absolutely proud of him.

He's still breathtakingly handsome.

And I'm nothing to him.

"Alice," I interrupted her excitement for just a second. "I'm not going back there again."

"Oh, yes you are!" she exclaimed, incredulous.

"Alice, look at me," I told her, hoping that if I look straight in her eyes, that she would see how dead serious I am. No more playing.

"I'm serious, Alice. I'm not doing it."

Alice was about to argue when Jasper shook his head, his eyes telling her to please respect my wishes. Alice took one last concerned look at me and sat back in her seat, letting me have this moment to myself.

* * *

**_Please check out the poll on my profile: I'm trying to figure what would be the theme to the Halloween Party the Cullens will be holding in their studio. I would really appreciate your vote and/or comments, ideas, and opinions about the poll and the story._**

**_Thank you once again._**

**_And please review. Reviews are good for my mental health. Seriously...it is._**


	4. Special Lesson

_**First of all, I want to thank devilsgenie for betaing my story and being such a hugh encouragement. It means a lot to me.**_

_**I want to apologize for taking a long time to update but sometimes I go through "Stuck on Stupid" Stages. I wrote three different versions of Chapter 4 before writing this one. I'm good with this one. I wasn't feeling the other ones. So thank you for your patience and support for this story.**_

_**And now, here it is. As you know, not mine. Never was, never will be. *Sniff, sniff***_

* * *

"Well...I guess I'll see you later, Bella," mumbled Alice as she slowly made her way towards the door of our apartment with her head bowed down and her lower lip jutting out a bit. She was purposely dragging her way towards the door in hopes that I would change my mind at the last minute. But this time her puppy-dog-eyes bit did not work on me. I was still adamant on not going back to the dance studio, no matter what Alice said or did. She even tried to sic her fiancé on me but I did not budge.

Since Saturday Alice had been hounding me about my reasons for not attending Ballroom lessons. What am I supposed to say to her?

__

Well Alice, I think I might've fallen in love with a complete stranger I've seen only a handful of times whom I've never spoken to, didn't even bother to ask him his name and now that I know who he really is, he's totally oblivious to my existence, as if I meant nothing more than just a girl to rub up on at a club.

The fact that this man still had this strong effect on me was proof of how pathetic I truly was. Just thinking about it embarrassed me to no end. But having to sit here and tell Alice and Jasper of this would only serve me to be treated with pity.

I can see it now.

__

"Aw, Bella. It's okay. Everything will turn out all right. Remember...I

know_ these things" _as she lightly taps her index finger against her temple.__

Riiiiight. Whatever.

Alice thought she had some sixth sense when it came to knowing the future and though her _talent_ had worked a few times in her favor; I was not going sit here and make myself vulnerable to the possibility of humiliation and heartbreak again.

__

No, thank you.

I was not going back to that wretched place no matter what anyone said except to get a refund which was what I planned to do this Saturday coming up.

__

Maybe I'll get to see Ed... Stop it, Bella!

"Have fun," I waved to Alice with a smile that rivaled a cheerleader's and made myself comfortable on the navy blue sofa that sat across from our flat screen. In reality it was killing me not to do this for Alice. I knew how important this was for her, and any other time I would've stuck to doing this if it weren't for the chance that I might run into Edward again and I really didn't want that to happen. While a dejected looking Alice shuffled her way out of the apartment, Jasper waiting for her down in the car, I looked around the living room to find the quizzes and student journals that needed to be graded for my seventh grade English classes.

The rest of the week passed by uneventfully though my stomach began to turn in knots as Saturday approached quickly. I busied myself with work, correcting my student's paperwork, planning out the curriculum for the next two semesters, and when I ran out of things to do for work, I cleaned our apartment from top to bottom. I don't think this place has ever been as squeaky clean as it was when I got through with it.

Throughout the week Alice had been particularly quiet which was truly rare. I don't know if she was mad at me for not going to the Ballroom lessons, but every time I tried to speak with her about it she'd brush it off and excuse herself, chastely explaining that she had something she forgot she needed to do all of a sudden. Her avoidance was definitely not Alice. Alice has always been very vocal about her feelings unlike me who always chickened out in fear of humiliation. Something was up and I needed to find out what that was, but it seems that I would never get that chance because Saturday had soon appeared.

I was so nervous as I drove in my royal blue Nissan Sentra to Hollywood and slid my car into park, staying stuck to my seat, prolonging the inevitable. My fingers gripped the steering wheel as if someone was going to rip the door open and yank me out forcefully.

__

You can do this. He probably won't even be there. And even if he's there, he won't recognize you, anyway.

I sat in my car for about fifteen minutes, trying to will myself out of the car. I looked up to see the meter-maid checking the meters along the sidewalk a few cars down from me. How well would it be to get a ticket for sitting here like a blithering idiot?

With a sigh, I placed my hoodie over my head, trying to conceal as much of myself as possible, and placed the huge black sunglasses I took from Alice's bureau to mask my face. I glanced at myself through the rearview mirror to make sure I was as hidden as possible, and searched through my purse for some change for the meter. With a final huff, I stepped out of the car and into the bright sunlight that nearly blinded me even with my sunglasses on.

After inserting the coins in the meter, _twenty minutes should be enough, right? _I made my way into the studio. My nerves frazzled even more as I stumbled into the lobby, and it took all my will power to push myself towards the front desk and speak to Cow-face Jessica.

The light tapping of fingers hitting the buttons on the keyboard and the loud smacking of gum-chewing were nearly drowned out by classical music coming from one of the rooms in the studio. My eyes wandered down the hallway, hoping to catch a glimpse of copper hair somewhere in the distance, and soon berated myself for searching so intently. Someone cleared their throat, bringing me back to what I came here to do as my eyes rested on Jessica's obscenely made-up face, her expression one of utter boredom and disdain.

"Oh, hi," I said, nervously. I swallowed to moisten my dry throat and began again. "I will no longer be attending the lessons and I was wondering if I could get a refund. Times are hard and if I can get my money back, I could use it for gas or something, you know?"

"Name," was all she said, and as I answered, she handed me a clipboard similar to the ones we used to fill our information with like the first time we came here. Only this time it asked me for my reasons for leaving instead. A little frustrated with Cow-face's little attitude and the fact that I had to fill this stupid sheet out, I made my way back to the bench that I sat at last time and perched myself down with a huff.

****

Name:

_Isabella "Bella" Swan  
_**Phone:**_ (305) 555-6178  
_**Emergency Contact: **_Mary Alice Brandon_**  
Emergency Contact Phone Number: **_(305) 555-4772_

**  
Reason for Leaving:**__

Uh...

I tapped my pen against the top of clipboard, trying to think of a reason that was believable, my knee bouncing up and down, a nervous habit of mine. What could I possibly say? The true reason why I didn't want to be here was too embarrassing to admit. Though I've admitted to being a chicken, I felt like lying to Esme and Carlisle wasn't right. My only other option was to give them an excuse that, though not the primary reason is still believable because it was true.

****

Reason for Leaving:

_Equilibrium problems._

Okay. So it sounded worse than it really was. Yes, I was so clumsy it should be considered a disability, but it sounded like I suffered from some type of Vertigo.

Quickly I made my way towards Jessica and handed her the clipboard, ignoring the obscene way she chewed on her gum as she asked me to sit at the bench and wait a moment. She walked towards the back where I assumed she'd find my check to hand back to me. I closed my eyes, laying my head against the wall.

__

This is almost over.

I heard light footsteps coming closer to me not two minutes later, and opened my eyes to stare into beautiful blue ones peering down into mine. I shook my head out of my daze and saw that Carlisle was staring at me with a faint crooked smile that pierced my heart as it reminded me of Edward's perfect crooked smirk.

"Hello Isabella," said Carlisle, as he lifted his hand out to me. I placed my hand in his to shake it when he gently lowered himself and placed a kiss on it instead, causing my face to heat up from embarrassment.

__

Such a gentleman.

Looking around, I saw that Jessica wasn't in the lobby anymore. Carlisle's other hand, which I hadn't noticed was hidden behind him, brought out the small piece of paper that I'd just filled out, my face reddening even more if that was possible.

"May I speak with you, Isabella?" asked Carlisle in his faint British accent, something I hadn't noticed before. He sat down on the bench right next to me, not waiting for my answer.

"As long as you call me Bella, Mr. Cullen," I answered, hoping it sounded light enough to not give away my nerves.

"Carlisle, please," he corrected and I nodded. "I wanted to speak to you about the reason you're leaving us. It seems like such a shame and we wanted to know if there was anything we could do to help change your mind."

I knew they meant well with this but nothing would help. Even if they could speak to Edward about minding his attitude around me, it would be forced and if he didn't want to be near me, then that would be just fine with me, also.

With a sigh, I took my sunglasses off, massaged my closed eyes with my thumb and middle finger, trying to help them adjust to the lighting of the room. When I opened my eyes, I saw Carlisle patiently waiting for a response. His eyes seemed to want to read my thoughts by connecting to mine and I instantly felt like I was twelve years old again. Though Carlisle was an extremely handsome man, the way he looked at me reminded me of the way my dad used to peer down at me when he asked me an important question.

"Carlisle, it's...silly, really. I am...terribly clumsy....and I feel...that I might injure...your students or anyone for that matter...if you were to partner me up with anybody?" _Why did it sound like a question?_

Why was I so nervous about this? I'm a full grown woman who pays bills, has a career, a car, and college loans to pay back. Why was I being made to feel like a child being reprimanded by their parent? By their really, really hot parent, yes, but still. It was ridiculous that I was stumbling with my words, explaining myself to this man, who didn't know me from Eve. Besides, what did he care? I was just another client. I bet there were tons of people dying to learn the Cha-Cha all the time. Why question me about my reasons for leaving?

"Bella," Carlisle began, looking straight in my eyes as I squirmed under his intense gaze. "Alice and Jasper were in here on Tuesday evening for their first Waltz lesson and even though they seemed to have a lot of fun, I could tell that something was bothering Alice. When I approached her after class, she told me you weren't interested in learning and it was apparent to me that she was both saddened and disappointed by this. You see, we could be like any other dance studio and not care what our client's problems might be outside of this place, but my wife and I try to be involved in our client's lives as much as possible. We like to think of you as a new member of the family, and when I see that my clients are in some kind of trouble, I would like to think that they can come to us, even if they just need a friend to talk to. And if I may be frank, _Equilibrium problems _seemed to be too silly a reason to deny being there for your best friend, as this is one of the most important things she'll get to experience for her wedding, and wants you to be there."

__

Uh...

I was rendered speechless and my face blushed a hot red from shame. Here was this man opening up to me about his concern for not only Alice and Jasper but myself as well. The sincerity and concern for us stunned me as I inwardly berated myself for acting so childish. He was right. It was silly of me to have missed out on what was so important to Alice and Jasper. For as long as we've been friends, they've always been there for me. Was this my way of saying "Thank you" to them for their friendship? All the guilt from this week -disappointing Alice, not being the best friend and maid-of-honor she needed me to be, and the realization of my selfishness- hit me like a ton of bricks, causing the traitor tears to fall out of my eyes, wetting my cheeks on their way down. I was not being a good friend. As the tears continued to roll down my face, Carlisle gently placed his arms around my shoulder in a fatherly hug and I felt myself instantly comforted.

But oh my gosh, did this man smell so good!I felt like one of those Febreeze commercials in which the moms were instantly drawn to smell of their freshly sprayed carpet, sniffing at it as if their life depended on it.

After a few moments, I let myself calm down and pulled away to see Carlisle smile down at me. I made to apologize for the way I'd been acting but he shook his head and held out his hand to me. As I took it, he stood up bringing me with him, placing my arm around his and led me into the hallway at the back of the main lobby. I could hear music coming from a couple of the classrooms while my eyes quickly shifted around, looking into each of them. Some of the classrooms were empty while others were occupied with students learning different types of dance. In one I saw Esme with her arms lifted up, instructing a group of seven and eight year olds the basic stance of the Waltz. As we passed by her classroom, Esme's eyes immediately brightened when she saw me, a beautiful smile gracing her face. She quickly waved her hand to me, and turned her attention back to her students.

By the time we reached our destination, I was both glad and slightly disappointed that I did not see Edward in any of them, but quickly dismissed the thought when Carlisle pulled away from me. I stood in the middle of an empty classroom, though this one did not have the glass wall with the view from the street, and for that I was grateful. Carlisle walked towards the stereo that stood against the one wall that was not covered in mirrors. Suddenly the soft sounds of classical music filled the room and Carlisle made his way towards me, smiling down at me from his 6'1 frame. This smile of his made me nervous.

"Bella, I just want to give you a small taste of what you missed on Tuesday night. If you still decide to remain with us, which I'm hopeful for, then you would be caught up in your lessons by this Tuesday coming up," said Carlisle.

As I began to panic, I said, "I actually wasn't kidding about the whole clumsy thing, Carlisle. I've been known to injure people on occasion with my clumsiness and dancing will only make it worse."

Carlisle just stood there with a bemused expression on his face as if he'd heard it all before. And it was probably true but that didn't calm me one bit. He walked towards me with a smirk on his face, clearly enjoying seeing me squirm under his stare.

"Bella, I think you should let me teach you the dance seeing as I'm the professional out of the two of us. Just relax and follow my instructions. Don't worry about injuring anyone because you won't learn anything if you're concentrating on that instead of the steps I teach you," Carlisle gently commanded.

I took a deep breath and mentally prepared myself for the inevitable.

Carlisle stepped close enough for me to get intoxicated by his amazing smell. I worked to stop myself from leaning my face into his chest and sniffing him. _Why did he have to smell so good? _He placed his right arm underneath my left, his hand placed against my shoulder blade. Carlisle instructed me to place my left hand on his shoulder while he extended my right hand slightly away from our bodies, carrying it with his left. Though we stood close, it was not uncomfortable, keeping his professionalism intact during my lesson. "While dancing the Waltz, your head needs to face towards your left just like mine," he explained. I did as he instructed and let him continue on with his lesson. "Place your right foot in between my feet." Again, I complied and now I stood diagonally from him, still holding my hands and feet in position.

"Now my right foot is going to step forward in between your legs..."

__

Uh...

"...while your left leg steps back. Once we step into your space, you will move your right leg in that direction while I follow you towards my left." Carlisle continues to direct me through basics steps and I find that it is not half as bad as I thought it would be. But my arms were rigid, my posture as stiff as a board, and my head was bowed down looking at our feet, only to make sure I don't step on his toes.

"Bella, look up." I do as he says, but involuntarily stop. "Bella, keep moving." I look down as I start to move.

Carlisle chuckled, "Bella, look up and keep moving. This is part of the learning process." Carlisle steps away from me, motioning to me to stay still. "Straighten your shoulders, and lift up your arms." I followed his instructions while he placed both of his warm hands on either side of my head and gently turns it towards my left. He stepped back into place in front of me, returning his right hand upon my left shoulder blade, firmly gripping my right hand in his left.

"Now, let's continue with our steps, making sure your head stays lifted as it is right now. Don't look down to your feet."

As I fought the instinct to look down towards the ground, Carlisle began to lead me around the dance floor, slowly transitioning us from the Stationary Box we started with, to a Rotating Box, the two of us Waltzing around in circles. Soon, my body relaxed as I began to giggle at the fact that I was truly dancing right now. Not once had I stumbled during our dance as I concentrated on Carlisle's instructions and let him lead me.

Esme came into the classroom when my lesson was over and walked towards us, holding a small piece of paper in her hands. Her smile, which seemed to brighten up the room even more, was welcoming and she hugged me as if we'd been friends all our lives.

"Hello, Bella," Esme said. "It's good to see you here, dear."

"Hi, Esme," I returned. Esme's smile turned wistful as she handed me back the check I'd written for the Ballroom lessons and my face fell when I saw disappointment in her eyes. "Hopefully you'll change your mind. We'd loved to have you back here. I was watching from the doorway this entire time and I really think that this would be a good thing for you."

I nodded, not in a promise to come back on Tuesday, but more in appreciation of their concern for me. I realized that avoiding Ballroom lessons for the sake of not running into Edward was incredibly stupid of me and I left the Cullen dance studio with a lot to think about over the next few days.

I came home to an empty apartment. I didn't know if it was my somber mood or the lack of Alice's jubilant personality that made this place seem more vacant. By the time I slowly reached the door to my room, I found a small note that was taped on it.

__

Busy with the wedding stuff. Won't be home 'till late. Might even stay over Carmen's house. Can you please meet me tomorrow at Carmen's at five p.m.? I need to talk with you.

Hmmm..I didn't know what to make of that. Was she still mad at me for missing Tuesday? She might be mad at me for disappearing this morning to run my 'errands' instead of helping her with her wedding plans. Now, I really feel terrible. As energetic as Alice was, planning a wedding is a lot of work. Her new friend, Carmen was going to help her with the details of the wedding as she's lived in South Florida most of her life and knew of the best places for those types of events, which relaxed me a bit. But I was still her best friend. I should be front and center when it came to those things and I wasn't.

But why would she want me to meet her at Carmen's house to talk with me? That's strange. If it was that important, I would think that she'd want to speak with me in the privacy of our own home.

As I went through my purse to search for my cell phone to ask Alice if she needed any help from me, I remembered that Jasper had the cell phone with him and he was out of town at the moment. Something about having to pick up a package that was too big to be mailed and he needed to make sure it arrived safely to South Florida. Apparently it was an all day thing, since he left early this morning to go get it and won't be back until tomorrow. When I inquired on what the package might be, he only said, "It's just somethin' we need for the weddin', baby girl. Don't worry about it."

__

Okay.

So I had the whole place to myself and decided to take advantage of my solitude. Our apartment had two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The bigger of the two bedrooms went to Jasper and Alice and it had its own bathroom. The walls in their room were painted a beautiful dark rose, the black wood of their bedroom furniture blended in with the background and dark maroon curtains. Their white four poster bed stood out amongst the dark, and served as a beacon for a restful slumber. The entire room was warm, yet sexy, perfect for a young couple to share.

My room was smaller but I had a field day when it came it decorating it. I wanted to be able to come home from a hard day at work and enter the peace and serenity that is my bedroom. 'Ethereal Escape' was the name of the paint I'd chosen for my walls and it was perfect for what I wanted -even the name of the paint itself sounded peaceful. It was a very light lilac and with the sun streaming in through my window in the morning, only covered by a sheer white curtain, the whole ambience of the room was instant relaxation as one would enter it. All of my furniture was white: the wrought iron bed, the boudoir, even the lounge chair that sat by the window and gave me a nice view of the lake behind our building was white. We had found a small desk at a consignment store in our neighborhood and Jasper painted it white as well. On it sat my computer along with other desk clutter and a portrait of my dad carrying me on his shoulders when I was seven years old.

I had a small closet but I wasn't one to have much to fill it with anyways. I had a couple of outfits like the ones I'd worn to Cameo, some business suits in case I had to go to a Teacher's Conference, and my work 'uniform' which included lots of neutral khakis and comfortable blouses. I could just hear Alice's teeth grind together every morning before work whenever she got to see my outfit. But my argument was that I look young outside of my work clothes and I needed to wear things that demanded respect- well, whatever amount of respect I can get from a classroom full of preteens bursting out of the seems with their newly discovered crazed hormones.

The bathroom I used was across the hall from my bedroom. I walked into it and began to fill the bathtub with hot water, pouring Sheer Freesia scented bath gel into it. I made my way into my bedroom and began to look for a good book to read for the evening and grabbed my baby blue bath robe. As I undressed and settled myself in the bath water, I had a nagging feeling that I was missing something. There was something I was supposed to do or some event that I was missing. I hated when that happened to me but I guess after the emotional rollercoaster that I'd been on all day, I was feeling too exhausted to sit there and fret about it. Besides, I figured if it was important, it would come up again eventually.

The rest of the evening I spent it peacefully on the balcony of our second-floor apartment, overlooking the blackened lake with the lights of the city reflecting on its surface. It looked like the stars had come down upon the water and decided to dance among the small waves that were pushed around the slight breeze in this warm Miami night. As I sat on the light green patio lounge chair in my _Hello Kitty _pajamas, wrapped in a thin white sheet, book off to the side, forgotten from the distraction of the dancing lights upon the lake, I allowed myself to think of Edward. I know it would cost me later on once reality kicked in but for these few moments, it was just me and him. I imagined if he wasn't such a jerk, we could well be on our way to getting to know one another, to reminisce on those amazing moments we shared in Cameo, to celebrate our reunion, and maybe even becoming really good friends. Though my heart would want more than that, I would still take the friendship over the nothing we have between us now.

Shortly after, I made my way to my 'Ethereal Escape' themed bedroom and quickly fell asleep; too exhausted to bother with anything else and as per usual, I woke up to a brilliant day and changed into my running clothes. There was a community park not too far from here that had a nature trail and I've made that a part my running routine every morning since I moved to Florida. I grabbed my IPod, searching through my playlists, deciding to start my daily run with _Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Californication_. Something mild to help build me up the run ahead.

All throughout my morning run, I had this_ thing_...that kept bothering me. I felt like someone was trying to communicate something that my thick head was not grasping and it was starting to grind on my nerves. I stepped into the apartment and the place felt deserted, empty. I wondered what that was about as I made my way towards our fridge to grab a bottle of water. As the clear liquid escaped down my throat, quenching the thirst that I'd built in my run, I began to look at the small pictures that were framed, stuck against the door of the refrigerator with the magnets behind them. There was picture of Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and I, lying on the grass of the backyard of my dad's house back in Forks. That picture was perfect, like it had been taken by a professional. The four of us had silly grins, laughing at some joke that Emmett told. I don't know what the joke was but I do remember it was one of those moments in which one person would laugh at absolutely nothing while the others followed in continued hilarity at the absurdity of it all. I couldn't help but smile at the good memories, even if I was not really happy with my cousin Emmett at the moment. Looking around at the other photos, I came across the small calendar that was posted on the top right hand corner of the refrigerator door. What I saw next took me by surprise.

Counting the days in my head, I suddenly realized what it was that had been driving me absolutely crazy since last night. And as the realization came of what today was, my eyes began to prick with tears, my chest was heaving with small breaths, and my hands were trembling.

Very quickly I ran to my cell phone to see if I had any missed phone calls.

I had none.

I turned on my computer, waiting for it to load while I stood behind my desk chair, my foot tapping against the tile floor in my room rapidly. When it finally did, I went into my emails and besides the trash that accumulated and the occasional News updates, I found nothing for _me_.

I had already checked the mail yesterday afternoon after my day at the dance studio, and found nothing but bills in there.

Here I sat in my room alone and forgotten.

No one had called me or emailed me anything.

Suddenly feeling crushed, I flung myself onto my bed, and began to cry. It wasn't something I made a big deal of, but you would think that someone would at least acknowledge me on this day.

__

Everyone forgot my birthday.

* * *

**I know. It sucks when people forget your birthday. Did anyone forget yours this year? Tell me about it.**

**Please review and tell me what you think of the story.**

**I don't know about you but I would love it if Carlisle taught me the Tango. *Sigh***

**One more thing...**

**I'm dedicating this chapter to one of my favorite actors who passed away yesterday after a battle with cancer.**

**Patrick Swayze.**

**"I fell in love with the sway of your hips, the intensity in which you held your co-stars, your good looks, and your ability to bring a tear to my eyes." --Melissa.**

**My top three favorite movies of Mr. Swayze are:**

**1) Dirty Dancing  
2) Ghost  
3) Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar**

**I love you, Mr Swayze. You will be missed.**


	5. Crappy Birthday Bella

_**I do not own any of the "Twilight" Characters. Stephenie Meyers does. But this story right here, yeah, it's mine. Plagiarism is not only unattractive and makes you smell like poo, IT'S WRONG AND ILLEGAL.**_

_**I also don't own "Singing In The Rain", or "You Were Meant For Me" or Gene Kelly or Debbie Reynolds. Smooches!!!**_

_**I want to thank devilsgenie for betaing my story and being such a huge encouragement. And Congratulations....**_

**_I want to thank jakeward for being my Validation beta and for hooking me up with devilsgenie. I appreciate you bunches._**

**_More at the bottom..._**

* * *

_Crappy Birthday to me! Crappy birthday to me...._

My face was all blotchy, swollen and red from crying so much into my pillows, hating the bright day of Miami as it mocked me by contrasting happily against my mood.

I was even having an attitude with the sun as it floated proudly in the sky, illuminating my already overly bright room and I cursed the day that I chose these very light colors for my room. All I wanted to do was bury myself away from the world, forgetting it as much as it had forgotten me.

I wasn't one for dramatics but it was my birthday, doggone it! Not even my own freaking parents have called to say "hello". What kind of crap was that? Not one phone call, text, or email had been sent to me for my birthday.

_Oh, sorry. I did receive one._

It read:

"_'Happy Birthday' from your friends at Entertainment Weekly magazine. We have an amazing offer to bring you back, our preferred customer..."_

_Yay me!_

I finally calmed down enough from my emotional breakdown to rise from my bed and make my way towards the kitchen. I began to search through the refrigerator for the only thing I knew would be there to comfort me in times such as these.

Chocolate fudge icing.

_Glorious Heaven. There is some good left in this cruel, cruel world._

Still sniffling, trying to get rid the liquid snot that was slowly crawling its way out of my nose, I wiped it off of my face along with some escaped tears with the sleeve of my shirt. I grabbed a clean spoon from inside the dishwasher and dipped it into the frosting.

_Ah, heaven._

As I stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and wrapping my lips around the spoonful of chocolate frosting, I thought about the people in my life, my family and friends -thought about how busy they could possibly be that my birthday slipped from their minds.

I thought about my mother, Renee. Right now she was probably on the road along with her husband Phil while he coaches his minor league baseball team, currently playing their way towards the championships. She was probably exhausted, going crazy with all the running around and the date might have slipped from her memory. _She might call later._

Then there was my dad, Charlie. I love my father very much but he went fishing religiously every Sunday morning with his best friend, Billy. Especially since he was still living in the dark ages in which the concept of a cellular phone was non-existent, there would be a high chance of not getting a call from him until much later in the evening.

Alice and Jasper were obviously busy with their wedding plans since they both left early yesterday to get things done. Why Alice chose me to be her maid of honor was beyond me. Yes, I was her best friend, but I didn't know anything about planning a wedding. Isn't it my responsibility to plan the bachelorette party? I have no idea what to do with that. I might be organized but putting events together? Totally not my forte.

I guess it's a good thing she's got Carmen helping her out with everything. Carmen had lived here in South Florida most of her life and knew everything about everything when it came to event planning. Carmen's husband, Eleazar was a DJ on the weekends but co-owned a small chain of Cuban bakeries throughout the Miami Metropolitan area called _Mirtha's Bakery_ (named after Eleazar's mother). They had connections left and right which suited Jasper and Alice just fine.

Though I knew how much Carmen was currently helping Alice with the planning, I couldn't help but feel a small tinge of jealousy at their growing friendship within the last few months.

And then there was the only other person that would know about my birthday. But I knew that the reason why he hadn't called me today was not because he forgot, but because he chose _not_ to call me.

Emmett.

Well, there was truly no point in worrying about Emmett if _he _wasn't worried about me. Too long I've let him affect me but I'd not received one phone call since our fall out last October.

_Whatever._

I shuffled towards the living room and uncaringly plopped down on the couch, finding the remote control to scan through the one million channels we pay for and never watch.

Finally settling on _Turner Movie Classics_, I held on to my chocolate fudge icing for dear life, clinging to the hope that someone will eventually notice my birthday today.

I'm sure I was looking all types of _purrty_ as I sat on the couch. I know my hair was standing up at attention, my ponytail loosening itself from its grip, my face all red and swollen from my crying session just a few moments earlier. I felt sticky with the sweat from the run this morning since I decided to forgo the shower as a result of my emotional breakdown, occasionally licking my lips and tasting the saltiness from the tears on my face along with the chocolate icing, but I couldn't find it in me to care.

If no one wanted to remember that I was alive and breathing then that was fine by me. I'll just sit my miserable self here on the couch, away from everyone so I won't bother them with something as inconsequential as my birthday.

_Singin' In the Rain_ was playing on TMC as part of a Gene Kelly all-day movie marathon and one corner of my swollen lips lifted a bit as one of my favorite scenes was coming up in a moment.

All thoughts of my birthday were forgotten as Gene Kelly's character, _Don_ led Debbie Reynold's _Cathy_ into a closed sound stage, trying to sweep her off of her feet with his amazing voice and graceful dancing skills.

My mom was a hopeless romantic and made me watch all types of old movies like _Casablanca_ along with her when I was a kid. I grumbled and whined at times, hoping it would put her off from wanting me to join her but I couldn't deny they grew on me with time and movies like this one always melted my heart. So in turn, I am now officially a hopeless romantic along with my mother.

This particular movie was one of my top five movies and I knew practically every single word of it along with the songs.

So when Don would say, "_This_ is the proper setting," and Cathy would answer, "Why, is just an empty stage," I would mimic every word along with them. I've even caught myself lowering my voice at his parts and lifting it higher when Cathy spoke.

_Yes, I know. Sad._

That's why I only watch these movies when I'm by myself.

I loved this movie. The handsome male protagonist falls in love with the girl next door as they dance and sing to these beautiful songs sometimes made me wish I was a part of that world.

I imagined myself as Cathy, wearing that beautiful lilac dress which flowed easily with the wind coming from the industrial-sized fan. My brown hair shortened and curled to give it a classic 1920's look, gazing intently into the eyes of the man who held me in his arms as we danced the night away. Don, being replaced by the only man that has starred in my daydreams, Edward, wearing all white from head to toe, his amazing reddish brown hair slicked back. His breathtaking crooked smile is shining bright, causing my heart to melt from across the room. He'd sing to me, I'd stare at him lovingly, he'd hold out his hand for me to join him in a dance across the faded wooden floor, never wanting to let go.

Both of our eyes connecting, desperately searching for the true meaning of our lives as Edward would sing of his love for me in the only way he knew how -with his voice and his arms holding me close to him. Granted I've never heard the man speak but for now, Gene Kelly's voice would have to do.

_**Life was a song,**_

_**You came along**_

_**I've laid awake the whole night through**_

_**If I ever dared to think you'd care**_

_**This is what I'd say to you**_

_**You were meant for me**_

_**And I was meant for you**_

_**Nature patterned you**_

_**And when she was done**_

_**You were all the sweet things**_

_**Rolled up in one**_

_**You're like a plaintive melody**_

_**That never lets me free**_

_**But I'm content**_

_**The angels must have sent you**_

_**And they meant you just for me...**_

Apparently, sometime during the song I'd lifted myself off the couch and had begun to dance, with my eyes closed, imagining Edward holding me in his arms, twirling me around the sound stage with the purple background that stood as the twilight setting. When suddenly a sharp pain shot through my big toe, abruptly waking me from my ridiculous daydream as I accidentally stubbed it against the wooden leg of the coffee table. My arms flew from their ballroom position quickly to my toe as I jumped around my living room on one foot, trying to rub out the pain, almost causing me another accident as I almost landed on the floor.

_Gosh, I'm so stupid._

_Crappy Birthday to me! Crappy birthday to me...._

Looking back to the movie, commercials had begun, alerting me that the movie was on break and I stood there feeling utterly...what's the word again? Oh yeah...Stupid.

Sadly it wasn't the first time it had happened and if I didn't get a freaking life of my own, it was definitely not going to be my last.

In that moment, I made a decision. Tired of my monotonous and routine life, I needed to find a way to revive it. I was 23, no, 24 years old today and here I sat, sulking as if I had nothing to live for.

Did I want to be that old lady with the twenty-seven cats in her house?

Did I want to grow to be a bitter old woman because I did nothing with my life?

Or did I want to live life to the fullest?

Now that's what I want to do.

I'm a content person. I have no true reason to complain. I have two arms and two legs. I'm able to do so much and here I sit as if life had dealt me a bad hand like some ungrateful brat.

I quickly shut off the flat screen and went straight into my closet. I searched for the perfect outfit to celebrate my birthday. Thinking of what Alice would deem worthy as a good "Birthday" outfit, I settled on a beautiful black top with a light pink and purple print in the front, with fluttery sleeves and a rounded hem. I chose some dark gray skinny jeans and black ballet shoes.

I jumped into the shower, finally scrubbing off all the gunk that had been sitting on my skin all day and washing my hair with my Strawberry Delight shampoo. Once I was ready, I took a bit of mousse and smoothed some into my hair, scrunching it and leaving it to air dry.

I dressed and put some light make up on, just to accentuate my full lips and chocolate brown eyes. I might not be the most beautiful woman, but I could hold my own.

All dressed up and ready to go, I realized that I had no idea what I was going to do or where to go. But whatever...

Today was a new day and I was a new Bella. I'm just going to go with the flow and see where the beautiful city of Miami has to offer me.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was my first mistake.

Not really knowing the area except for my usual route to and from work, I decided to drive south on I-95 and see where it led me. Having been here for a bit over six months I'd heard of different places that seemed interesting and in my quest to celebrate my own birthday, I'd settled on going to Bayside, a very popular marketplace for tourists to enjoy a full day of shopping and dining venues, right by the water.

I'd never been there myself, but I couldn't wait to see it.

While I was mentally berating myself for having left my camera back at home, I was coming closer to a fork in the road with about six or seven different paths to take and had to quickly decide which exit to take, especially since I'd passed the sign that directed me to Bayside and couldn't get all of the information in time. So after about fifteen minutes of driving around the highways, trying to find my way back to point A, I finally decided to get off the next exit and politely ask someone for directions to Bayside.

All I know is that for a Sunday, the traffic was horrendous, having to sit at the same light for about eight minutes. I'd finally made my way to the closest gas station I could find. Walking out of my car, I looked around to ask for directions but all I saw were a couple of burly men that seemed a bit too scary for me to approach on my own so I just made my way inside of the Seven-Eleven and found a little old lady standing behind the counter. It looked like she was trapped in a glass prison as the entire counter was surrounded by a thick glass wall, made to protect the employees in case of a robbery. As I'm about to ask the attendant for directions, the burly men that were outside entered and were currently standing behind me in line. Though they made me a bit nervous at first, the men behind me didn't seem to be paying me any mind.

"Er, excuse me? Can you tell me how to get to Bayside?" I asked the little attendant, hiding behind the glass wall.

_"¿Qué?" _she asked, rather loudly.

"Bayside. Can you give me directions to Bayside?" I asked again.

_"¿Qué dices? No te entiendo, chica."_

While it was obvious that she didn't understand English, I'd already been getting anxious after all of today's events and all the traffic I'd had to endure on a freaking Sunday afternoon. Needing to lean on the small amount of Spanish I'd learned in high school, I took a deep breath and tried to reign in my impatience. After all, it wasn't her fault that everyone in Miami was out to make my life a living hell.

I began again. "Er, _¿Donde es-está Bayside?" _I stuttered, hoping I didn't just offend her in Spanish.

"Oh, Bayside," she answered as I sighed in relief. I don't know what made me think she was going to help after realizing my question because all I heard from her was a rapid explanation in Spanish, along with a lot of hand waving. I only understood a couple of familiar words such as "McDonald's", "I-95", and something about a "Cah-jeh Oh-choeh"? But other than that…nothing. It was very frustrating.

Turning around to the men behind me, I asked them the same question and all I got from them was, "_Nous ne parlons pas l'anglais, la belle dame_."

_Great. I was in the middle of the freaking United Nations and not a translator in sight. Guh..._

_Crappy Birthday to me! Crappy birthday to me...._

Practically running away from "We Are The World", I got into my car and took a few deep breaths. Needing to get myself back to my apartment seemed to be the best thing right now or else I was going to go mad. I tried to reel in my emotions as a headache was threatening to worsen what was left of my catastrophic day, not wanting to let the tears fall down my face again and drown me.

After giving myself a ten-minute pep talk, I got back on the road and noticed the sun was beginning to slide down towards the west and some gray clouds from the north were threatening to block the sunlight. Needing to get home as soon as possible, I began to find my way towards I-95, the main vain in the South Florida area, which fortunately was not hard to find.

But like everything else in my horrid day, nothing could be that easy.

Because as soon as I made it onto I-95 and began making my way back home...

"POP!"

And my car began swerving a bit. Thankfully I'd just gotten on the highway and was only going at about thirty miles an hour so I was able to pull over safely. Stopping over to the side of the road, I hastily came out to check what was wrong when I found my right front tire was blown, the tread hanging on by a thread, the whole thing totally massacred.

_Crappy Birthday to me! Crappy birthday to me...._

Thankfully, I knew the general mechanics of a car in cases of emergency, a thing that Charlie was very adamant about when I'd told him I was moving to Miami.

Cursing under my breath for my incredible luck, I got down to business and changed my tire with the spare in my trunk. Thinking that nothing else could possibly go wrong, I began to feel little droplets of water, seeping through my thin blouse as it started to rain on me.

_CRAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! CRAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME..._

Quickly finishing up with the spare and rolling my disgrace of a tire back into my trunk, I ran towards my door and slammed it shut.

I couldn't help it anymore and let myself fall to pieces for the second time today. This was by far the worst birthday in the history of birthdays and here I was sitting in my car by the side of the road. Not one person stopped to help me, not one thing seemed to go right today. And seeing as there was no one here to comfort me from my terrible day, I just sat in my car for the next twenty minutes, crying out all of my frustrations.

It wasn't until I heard a beep inside the car that I stopped to bring myself back to reality. The beep of my cell phone signaled that I had a message in my voice mail.

As I reached for my phone I noticed that I did not have _a _voice mail message. I had 17. The first message came in at 2:35 this morning.

_Message from 904-555-0765 received today at 2:35am...._  
_**Hey, honey. Happy Birthday! It's your mom. Of course you who it is but you know me. I could never break tradition. Twenty four years ago at this very hour you were born and I'm still just as proud of you as I've ever been. I love you, sweetheart. Call me as soon as you get this message, okay? Bye.**_

At that moment I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding in. My mom called me. How could I think that my mom would forget my birthday? It didn't make any sense.

_Bella, you're so silly._

I saved that message to listen my mom's voice later on, a voice which seemed to be like a breath of fresh air in this very moment. The next message was received while I was out running this morning.

_Message from 360-555-4450 received today at 8:26am._  
_**Hey, Bells. It's your dad. I was just getting ready to go fishing with Billy but wanted to make sure to tell you "Happy Birthday." Uh...well...uh..I hope you have a good day and uh...I love you. "**_

I chuckled knowing my father had gotten up a little extra early this morning to send me wishes at 5:26 in the morning all the way from Forks. Charlie was never one for expressing his feelings as Renee did but he still managed to make another tear fall down my face. This time it was a tear of joy.

Going through message after message of well wishes from friends old and new, I tried to figure out why I was getting these messages so late in the day. It was something that had happened before but it hadn't crossed my mind as to why no one seemed to be calling me.

Jasper called me after my parents to wish me a happy birthday, followed by some of our old friends from U-Dub and La Push. Alice and Carmen called me next and I suddenly realized that I'd forgotten about meeting them at Carmen's house for help with the wedding preparations.

Well, I'd been a bad enough friend to both my best friend, Alice and my new friend, Carmen and I was not about to let them down again. I might not be much help with the wedding itself, but I sure as hell am willing to try.

Driving back north towards Hollywood where Carmen and Eleazar lived, I'd listened to the rest of my messages and noticed the last few messages were from a worried Alice, wanting to know where I was at the moment. Looking at the time I'd realized I was supposed to have been there at five this afternoon and it was getting closer to six. I should call Alice to tell her I'm on my way but seeing as I'm only about five minutes away from Carmen's, it could just wait.

But of course, it couldn't be _that _easy.

As I made a right turn into Buchanan Street, the familiar red and blue lights flashed against my rear-view mirror and I had to laugh at the idiocy of this entire day. I admit that it was a bit of a maniacal laugh so when the cop finally approached my door; his right hand was wrapped tightly around his gun. Once again taking a few deep breaths to calm my emotions, I looked up to see an incredibly hot police officer. He looked almost like he belonged with the Chippendale's or something...

To say that he was built like a Mack truck would be an understatement. He could probably give Emmett a few pointers himself. His well-tanned forearms were huge, his chest very muscular and his strong jaw made me want to reach out and see if it was just my imagination. After all, my headache was raging on and it might be making me lose my mind. He had short brown hair that was hidden under his police cap and striking hazel eyes that made me want to melt at his feet. He was obviously Latino as he had this slightly cocky look to him and also...his name tag read "Rodriguez" on it.

"Miss, do you want to know why I stopped you?" Officer Rico Suave asked, waking me from my haze.

"Oh, um...uh...What?"

_Brilliant, Bella._

He stood there staring at me, possibly contemplating my sanity. I know I definitely looked as if I belonged in a loony bin, my damp hair and clothes making me look like a wet cat, my make-up possibly smeared all over my swollen, blotchy face.

"Miss, have you been drinking?" Now _that _question surely woke me up.

"No, I've not been drinking. Why, was I swerving or something? I swear, I fixed the tire on my way over here and the spare shouldn't be giving me any problems. But I've definitely not been drinking. Yes, I've had an extremely emotional day because I thought everyone had forgotten my birthday and then I tried to drive down to Miami where no one spoke English and then I got a flat tire and it started raining on me and I started crying because this whole day has sucked massively and I can't seem to shut up right now and now you're looking at me strange which is probably why you think I'm drunk, especially since my face is all swollen but I swear I'm not drunk....Really."

After a silent moment as he seemed to be contemplating something, possibly the validity of my story or questioning the level of my I.Q., he asked me for my license and registration and asked me to stay put. Well, I guess it's definitely time to call Alice.

_"BELLA! WHERE IN THE HELL ARE YOU? YOU BETTER BE LYING IN A DITCH SOMEWHERE BECAUSE IF YOU'RE NOT, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU MYSELF FOR MAKING ME WORRY LIKE THIS" _was Alice's greeting.

"Ugh, Alice, not right now. I got pulled over on my way to Carmen's and I'm right now waiting for the verdict," I answered. Though I was in slightly better mood, I was still reeling from the day's events and my headache was not merciful enough to lessen. I wasn't in the mood for one of Alice's tantrums.

"_Where are you?" _Alice asked and when I told her I was practically right down the street from her, she seemed to start a conversation with Carmen who was standing by her. A bit of rustling in the background brought Carmen on the phone.

_"Hi Bella,_" Carmen greeted, in her slight Spanish accent. _"Did you happen to notice what the police man looked like?"_

_What the heck?_

"Yeah, he's not hard to miss. As a matter of fact," looking out the side-view mirror to see Officer Rico Suave bend down, I continued, "he's got an amazing butt if you ask me."

_"Ugh. Is he tall, brown hair, hazel eyes, has that 'I'm-better-than-you-because-I'm-a-cop'-cocky-sort-of-look, very muscular?"_

Still staring at his butt from my car, "Ohhhhh yeaaaahhhh!" It sounded a little dirty. I liked it.

_"Ugh. Okay. Thank you," _and then she hung up.

_Wow, that was rude._

As I saw the cop approach my vehicle I saw him stop abruptly to look down towards his belt, which encased his cell phone when he reached for it, answering a ring that was too far away for my ears to here. He seemed to be arguing with someone on the phone and he suddenly hung up and made his way towards my car. The look on his face was very serious and this time I did not want to say anything that would piss him further.

"Miss Swan, I stopped you because you ran a stop sign coming into this street. Now, I would've just given you a ticket but it seems to me that you have a warrant out for your arrest and I'm going to have to take you in."

_Wait...what?_

I gaped at him like a fish out of water and ran through his statement over and over again in my mind trying to make sense of what he was telling me.

"Wait...what?" I repeated out loud to Officer Not-So-Rico-Suave-Now and he responded with a large cackle that confused the hell out of me.

"Miss Swan. I'm just messing with you. My name is Enrique and my sister Carmen just asked me to escort you to her house just to make sure you didn't get lost on your way there."

After a huge sigh of relief, I answered, "Ha ha. Very funny, Officer Friendly. I needed you earlier when I got lost in Miami, not now that I'm down the road from Carmen's."

"But I don't work in Miami. I work for the City of Hollywood Police Department," he responded flirtatiously. His smile seemed to brighten my day exponentially and all I wanted to do was stare at the cute little dimple on his left cheek.

After a few minutes of easy conversation, Enrique followed me towards his sister's house. I'd been so involved in our short yet friendly conversation, that I hadn't noticed that there were about 15 cars parked outside of Carmen's house. Really. I didn't.

Enrique walked me up to the door, knocking his massive left knuckle gently against it, he leaned down and whispered in a low husky voice, "Happy Birthday, Bella."

_Happy Birthday to me, indeed__._

* * *

_**Wanna check out the video to"Singing In the Rain's" **_**Y****ou Were Meant For Me **_**with Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynols, along with other stuff such basic dance lessons and pictures, all having to do with "Let's Face The Music and Dance"? **_

_**Go to: **__**http://WWW (dot) LATINSTYLZGIRL (dot) BLOGSPOT (dot) COM **_

_**TMC- Turner Movie Classics (Channel that plays all of the great movies such as "Singin' In The Rain", "Casablanca", etc. They often have all-day marathons. The Gene Kelly marathon, I made up. But his movies are awesome.)**_

_**"¿Qué?" **_**-"What?" (Spanish.)**

_**"¿Qué dices? No te entiendo, chica."- **_**"What? I don't understand you, girl." (****Spanish.)**

_**"Er, ¿Donde es-está Bayside?"- **_**"Er, Where i-is Bayside?"**

_**"Nous ne parlons pas l'anglais, la belle dame."- **_**"We don't speak English, beautiful lady." **_**(**__**French. Or at least I hope it's correct. If it's not let me know and I'll fix it. I tried to get in Creole but I couldn't find my Haitian translator so I settled for French. Cubans and Haitians are two of the biggest cultures in South Florida and they needed to be represented.)**_

_**A/N: I am sorry for taking soooooooooooooooooooooooooo long with this update. This chapter was so difficult to write and it kept discouraging me to write it. So please forgive me for my almost six-month delay and thank you soooooooooooooooooooooooo much for holding on to the story.**_

_**As a matter of fact I've got two other chapters already written and just waiting to be released.**_

_**Once again thank you so much and if you have any questions or comments whatsoever, just press the green button below that says "Review" and I will answer your question/review.**_

_**Smooches!!!**_


	6. Surprise!

**_I do not own any of the "Twilight" Characters. Stephenie Meyers does. But this story right here, yeah, it's mine. Plagiarism is not only unattractive and makes you smell like poo, IT'S WRONG AND ILLEGAL. _**

**_I want to thank devilsgenie for betaing my story and being such a huge encouragement._**

**_I want to thank jakeward for being my Validation beta and for hooking me up with devilsgenie. I appreciate it._**

* * *

_Enrique walked me up to the door, rapping his massive left knuckle gently against it as he leaned down and whispered in a low husky voice, "Happy Birthday, Bella."_

Happy Birthday to me, indeed!

**!**!**!**!**!

I blushed at the low words of well wishes from Enrique. Looking up at him, I couldn't help the small grin on my face at the way he smiled down at me from his 6'2 height, the adorable dimple on his left cheek, his amber eyes staring intently into mine, causing me to forget the place I was currently at.

I even forgot what I came here for.

It didn't cross my mind that he'd wished me a happy birthday and he'd known me for only fifteen minutes.

So lost in Enrique's stare was I that I didn't hear the door in front of me open, the small whispers of "1...2...3..." the giggles coming from the other side of the door.

It wasn't until the...

"SURPRISE!"

That I was rudely awakened from my Officer Rico-Suave-induced haze, causing my heart to jump and beat rapidly at the surprise. I jumped back, almost losing my balance down the front steps if it hadn't been for the bulging arms of..._Sigh_...Enrique catching me just in time.

The cacophonous cheers and peals of laughter were spiking into my eardrums, reminding me to where I was.

In front of me stood the familiar faces of my closest friends, friendly faces of acquaintances and people I didn't yet know and best of all, my mom, Renee, smiling at me as if her entire world had finally fallen into place.

Suddenly I was enveloped by Renee's soft arms in a strong embrace, holding me as close to her as she could manage. Tears, once again, threatened to spill from my eyes and I turned them to see Alice standing closely behind my mom, looking both relieved and excited, seeming to be holding her own emotions back as well. I pulled back from my mom to get a real look at her. Her face, though a bit concerned, radiated happiness at seeing her daughter for the first time in months. I started to feel a little guilty for not spending more time with her but was quickly knocked out of my reverie when I was pulled down for a hug from Alice.

"Belllaaaaaa....where have you been? We were worried sick about you. What happened?" Alice asked in her high soprano voice.

"I really don't...Oh!" I was startled when a pair of strong, lean arms picked me up from behind, and swirled me around.

"Happy birthday, Bella!" drawled Jasper out loud as everyone around us laughed. Placing me back down I was allowed to turn around and embrace my other best friend.

"Thank you, Jasper" I croaked, my voice hoarse from all of the different emotions overtaking me.

"Okay, okay. Disperse, let me in," called out Carmen from behind Jasper, waving her hands in the air as if she were parting the Red Sea. She, too, held me in a strong embrace. "I know you are all family but she's my friend, too. _¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Nena!"_

"_Gracias_," I responded.

After Carmen let me go I looked around the room to see who else was there, hugging people left and right as I made my way further into the living room.

Eleazar was next in line to hug me, his always intoxicating cologne mixing in with my slight headache made my head spin a little.

"Happy birthday, _Belita_!" Eleazar called me in his thick Cuban accent, hugging me tightly as if we'd known each other for years. "I can see it in your face that you're surprised, heh! We gotcha good, didn't we?"

I nodded and Eleazar quickly let go of me to get back to his Dee-Jaying equipment, getting ready to play some songs. When I first met Eleazar, he seemed a bit cold and distant. I'd always thought that he just didn't like us. But that just how he was. Always wary of newcomers, making sure that no one messed with his family and friends. But after a few times that we'd hung out together, he'd warmed up to us with his playful, fun-loving side and even though he liked to joke around, he was loyal and was very protective over the people he loved. I was fortunately one of those people who he'd always care for like a family even in such a short amount of time.

With my eyes searching around the room for anyone else I could recognize, I remembered that I'd arrived through police escort and quickly looked behind me to at least say 'thank you'. But when I realized Officer Rico-Su..._uh_...Enrique had probably gone back to work, I felt a bit disappointed that I couldn't get to know him better.

_Maybe next time, Bella._

I noticed that even Jasper's brother, Peter and his family were in attendance.

Peter was just as good looking as Jasper. They were both tall, had incredible gleaming smiles that could light up a room and with that thick Texas accent, I had to restrain myself from swooning at his feet, especially since his wife, Charlotte was such a doll. Where Jasper had wavy dirty blonde hair that reached down to just above his neck, Peter had pitch black hair that was cut short military style, a tendency he'd not abandoned from when he used to be in the ARMY. But their eyes were the same strange mix of blue and gray. Charlotte was just a little more petite than Alice with straight blonde hair that complimented her light green eyes. With them was their daughter, Maria. She was a beautiful six-year old girl they'd adopted from Guatemala when she was born, with straight, thick black hair that stretched all the way down to her waist, beautiful olive skin and dark brown eyes. She was sweet and funny and incredibly intelligent, even if she was a little mischievous.

After I was greeted by the Whitlock's and a few others guests, I took a look around the living room to where the party was being held.

There were balloons of royal blue and silver covering every inch of the ceiling, decorations of all types adorning the walls and furniture around us. A huge metallic blue and silver sign was posted on the wall that read "HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELLA" over a massive table holding mountains of delectable foods and deserts, surrounding a beautiful three-tier royal blue cake with silver trimmings and designs, possibly from Eleazar's bakery.

Just looking at the table had my mouth salivating and I remembered the only thing I had to eat today was my chocolate fudge icing.

In the middle of the living room was a rather large makeshift dance floor where I inadvertently made my way to as I noticed that everyone had become quiet. Even the music that Eleazar was playing had died down to a low hum. There was a silent buzz in the room and it was making me nervous.

"Bella," whispered Alice, as if she were ready to spill a big secret I wasn't going to like hearing. "We, um, I mean, your mother and I and of course, Jazzy wanted to give you a present for your birthday that you would really like. Or at least we hope you do. I just want to remind you that we love you and we only have your best in mind, okay?"

I was now beyond nervous. What could possibly be hiding behind _Door Number One _that would cause my family to become so apprehensive? A number of different of possibilities flew through my exhausted mind as I tried to figure out what it was. I looked towards my mom who seemed a bit sheepish but hopeful of my reaction. I looked to Jasper as he gave me a determined smirk that told me, "You'd better appreciate this or else".

Alice, who was gripping my hands as if she were trying to hold me from running away, gave a nervous glance towards the sliding glass door that led towards the back yard, then back at me.

The only person that can make me this nervous with just his presence alone cannot possibly be here. He didn't even know me from Eve. Not that he cared anyway but I just couldn't....

"All right, Bella. Happy birthday," whispered Alice once again, turning towards the back door.

Nervously, I held in my breath and waited for the inevitable.

He came in dressed in a red, white and blue New England Patriots jersey and a pair of blue jeans, a dark blue baseball cap that was turned backwards, not hiding his face away from me. His wide shoulders and muscular build had seemed at first striking, as if he had somehow grown bigger within the last year. But his face, his baby blue eyes, his bright smile were strongly familiar and I definitely couldn't help the tears that fell down my eyes as I looked upon my cousin, Emmett.

In this moment, all of his accusations, all of the mean things he said to me, the enormous fight we'd had before I didn't see or hear from him for almost a year, were instantly forgotten as I ran towards him, surprisingly not slipping from my wet shoes on the wooden floor, and jumped into his arms.

"Oh gosh, Emmett," I cried into his left shoulder as he held so tightly, it hurt but it didn't matter. My cousin, my _big brother _was truly here with me. "I..._sob_...missed you..._sniff_...so much, Em!"

"I missed you too, Bells," Emmett's voice cracked at his admission, causing more tears to fall from my face. The _Awww's _from the family and guests all around us did not go unnoticed by me but I was grateful when Eleazar began to play a more upbeat dance song, rapidly lifting people's attention away from us.

After what seemed like hours, Emmett finally put me down but kept me protected under his massive arm as he always used to do when we were growing up.

Everyone dispersed into different sections of the party- some towards the buffet table, others towards the dance floor, while the rest just sat around, filling the room with the faint buzz of polite conversation.

Looking up at Emmett, I was still in shock that he was truly here. He wiped the tears from my face and gave me a kiss on the top of my head.

"Wow, Em. I've missed you so much," I repeated once again, needing to let him know how much our separation, despite our disagreement had affected me. From the look in his face, he'd missed me just the same. "Not that I'm not grateful that you're here but how..."

"Last month I just finally made the decision to follow you guys down here to Florida and as I realized that you're birthday was approaching, I thought it would be the perfect time to surprise you," he answered, his confident answer trying to hide the apprehension in his eyes. I guess he must've been expecting the worst from me. Emmett might have thought I would yell at him, tell him off, or worse, not talk to him at all after everything that happened and disown him as well.

Mulling over what he just said, I couldn't help but wonder what happened to _her_.

"Em, what happened to...?" I began to ask and he waved me off abruptly.

"Bella, not here. We'll talk about...everything, later. It's your birthday. We're here to have fun."

Hesitantly I nodded in acquiescence but sternly looked at him with a silent, "We _will _talk later" to let him know I was ready whenever he was. He nodded back in understanding when he suddenly picked me up off of the floor and gave me one of his infamous bone-crushing hugs.

The party was in full swing as we made our way through the crowd. I shivered a bit as I was still lightly moistened from the rain that fell upon me earlier today. Carmen noticed immediately and asked me to follow her down the hallway towards her bedroom with Alice and Renee in tow.

I had been at Carmen's house before but it still amazed me how each side of the hallway was covered, ceiling to floor with pictures of her family and good friends, black and whites as well as full color, pictures of her childhood back in Puerto Rico, graduations, wedding pictures, silly ones, photographs that were obviously done in portrait studios, and some intimate ones of her and Eleazar that made me wish I had something as special as what they did.

Not that I needed a man to be complete but sometimes I wished for someone to be there for me. Maybe I was jealous because I was constantly surrounded by couples and seeing how better they were for having each other even through the tough times made me bit sad.

_Gosh, you're so emotional today._

_Hah, _you're _telling me?_

With a quick glance through the photographs, my eyes landed on a picture just above my head. It didn't even take me half a heartbeat to recognize the piercing green eyes that had haunted me time and time again staring right back at me, his amazing crooked smile gracing his striking features. Edward, who in the picture looked to be much younger, like seventeen, had his left arm wrapped around a younger Carmen. Her arms around his waist as they looked very cozy together, both smiling with ease for the camera, her head against his shoulder. I don't know what came over me then but my feet unconsciously began to stamp their way into Carmen's room.

Raising an amused eyebrow at my petulant stomping, Carmen waited for me to come in and locked the door behind her. Guessing that we wore pretty much the same size, she threw me a dark blue buttoned blouse with a pair of gray slacks to go with her silver ballet shoes, which were bigger on me but I was still grateful for them. I went into the bathroom next to their walk-in closet to change my clothes when the questioning began.

"So, Bella. Where were you all day?" Alice asked in a slightly annoyed tone. "We've been calling you all day long and then when you didn't show up at five, we were all freaking out since you hadn't returned any of our phone calls".

Finishing up in the bathroom, I handed my clothes to Carmen while she quickly ducked out of the room towards her laundry room to dry them off, making it back just as fast. As I looked down at Renee, Alice and Carmen, all laying or sitting in some way on the bed, I'd recounted the details of my eventful day starting from the moment I'd realized that no one had called me when in reality my voice mails for some reason weren't coming through. I left out the part in which I'd injured myself waltzing in the middle of our living room while watching _Singing in the Rain._ No need to have the people I love the most question my sanity. I told them how I had gotten lost in the greater Miami area, relayed as they giggled through my experience with the _United Nations_, and how everything just happen to pile up after that.

After waving off their protests of, "but you should have called us", I quickly made my way onto Carmen's bed, snuggling myself into my mother's embrace as I used to do as a child. This, my mother would always recognize as me trying to get comfort, wanting to feel loved after a hard day. Even at twenty-four, I appreciated this about Renee, her comfort evident as I reverted back to my childhood by seeking solace in the warmth of her embrace. Like the time that I'd failed miserably at the ballet recital- she was there that night to lend me a shoulder to cry on as well.

Quickly the subject of my horrid birthday was changed into another painful subject.

"So," Carmen asked, excitement bubbling up inside of her. As I sat there and listened to her speak, my mind couldn't stop going back to the picture of her and Edward, hugging each other closely in the photograph. "How's the dancing lessons coming out?"

The sudden silence alerted everyone that something was up. Carmen looked at me expectantly while Alice's head was turned off to the side opposite of me as she sat with her legs crossed, her right leg bouncing up and down, a sign that she was trying to hold in what she was desperate to let out. Anger? Disappointment? Curses? I couldn't tell as she was looking to the other side. When Renee noticed our silence, she inquired about what was going on.

"Why did the proverbial giant elephant make his way into this room all of a sudden, ladies?" asked my mother, as she rubbed my left arm and kissed the top of my head. I cuddled more into her like a kitten.

Finally after what felt like too much time of awkward silence, Alice began in her tiniest, sweetest voice, indicating that she was trying to rein herself in as much as possible.

"Bella has decided not to learn any Ballroom dancing," answered Alice, her arms crossed in front of her.

"What? Why?" asked Carmen, genuinely concerned. "What happened? Did something go wrong at the studio?"

Renee squeezed my shoulder in concern.

"Bella, this is not like the ballet recital, honey," Renee whispered even though the others heard perfectly well. "This is something for your best friend. It's the most important day of her life and well..."

Sighing, I interrupted, "I know it's her special day and yes, I admit that at first it was because I was apprehensive but..."

"But what, Bella?" asked Alice finally turning to look at me, her face was a mask of both concern and disappointment, her dark brown eyes piercing deeply into mine. Her next question made me cringe. "What has you scared _now_?"

Yes, it seemed that lately I had been too afraid to do anything. And as much as it hurt to be silently rejected by Edward, it seemed like there was more than just that reason for me to slowly close in on myself these last few months. What with Alice and Jasper getting married this December, Emmett not speaking to me after almost a year, and no one else who was family close to me except for my mother who lived about ten hours away in Northern Florida, I had thought it would be better to protect myself from further hurt as the people in my life were dropping one by one. But the effect to that was that I had stopped living all together.

Not that I was some wild woman in college or anything, but I'd been on dates, hung out plenty of times at the bars and clubs with my friends.

But since moving to Florida, I had been slowly retreating into myself, pushing away different opportunities to just do stuff. There were even times in which Carmen had wanted to hang out with me alone, to get to know me better and very time she asked I'd pushed her away. Sure we hung out with the rest of the group sometimes but that wasn't really helping me to build a friendship with her.

Now seeing how crappy my day had been, I'd realized that if I hadn't been torturing myself with my loneliness as I have all these past few months, my day or even my almost-year here in Miami would've been better to get through.

Still Alice's question was directed more at the whole dancing thing and I was letting her down again. Not only with my selfishness and insecurities but also, with my silence. We used to tell each other everything from the most mundane things- "Today, I ate a really good salad at the restaurant. Try it! You might like it"- to the grossest- "_Guh_, I feel so bloated today...I just got my period"- to the most intimate and personal- "I don't know how to tell Emmett about what I saw today."

But this had to stop immediately. I had no reason other than embarrassment to hold me back from confessing my aversion to the Cullen Dance studio. Just as I was opening my mouth to let them in on my reasoning, Carmen continued.

"Did something happen at the Studio?" she asked, her face a little irritated. I don't know if that was directed at me or not.

"She's only been there once! Nothing could've happened in the one hour that we were there when we first registered," Alice recounted. "As a matter of fact, I thought for a moment there that she was having some sort of clarity when she saw that hot guy dancing. I think his name is Edward."

I stiffened at this, surprised at how obvious I was that afternoon when I'd been trying so hard to hide my feelings, hoping my treacherous tears didn't betray me.

"Ooh, Edward," Carmen said, her eyes all of sudden distant as if she were recalling some _very_ pleasant memory of him, a mischievous smirk gracing her tanned skin. My jealousy was aroused once again as well as my curiosity.

_Jealous? Jealous of what? He doesn't even know I exist._

Before I could stop myself, I asked, "Yeah, is that the guy with the reddish brown hair?" She nodded. "D-do you know him or something?" I continued to be nonchalant with my questions as she nodded her affirmation.

"Ooh, yeah," Carmen murmured; her eyes still in some other world that I wanted to knock her out of. Quickly looking at Renee and Alice, I'd found that they were not as annoyed as I seemed to be, as they smiled back along with her, waiting to be let in on her little secret. Carmen continued.

"Edward and I used to...be _really_ good friends. We, uh, taught each other a lot". It did not go unnoticed by me how her statement held a lot of meaning its words. Carmen unconsciously pushed her silky long dark brown hair back behind her shoulder as she seemed to be reminscing about Edward.

"Anyway, not to bash the Cullen's or anything because they are amazing people. In fact, I've known them for so long and have been so close to them, I consider them family. But unfortunately, I haven't seen them in a few months because...well, let's just say that certain people who work for them and I don't exactly see eye to eye. So instead of ruining my friendship with them by causing discord in their place of business, I've just kept our communications to phone calls only."

"Who is that you don't get along with?" asked Renee, as I'd thought about the same thing to myself.

"Nobody important, I can assure you," answered Carmen, obviously avoiding the question. "But anyways, Edward is definitely one of the best teachers there. Whenever he dances like that he certainly leaves an impression. "

"Oh, yes he did and Bella couldn't keep her eyes off of him," answered Alice in a fit of giggles, no longer in her sullen mood. "Especially when he was demonstrating how to do the Rumba. Ooh," as Alice fanned herself mockingly. "I love Jazzy with all of my heart but I had to hold myself from throwing a couple of bills at him, he moved so well." I couldn't help but giggle along with them, remembering just how precisely his hips moved from side to side, the intensity of his green eyes, the tight clothes that hung closely to his body...

"Oh, yes, _m'ija_. I know exactly what you mean," Carmen added, giggling under her breath.

_All right, now this is getting ridiculous._

"It's too bad they couldn't make to Bella's party tonight," Alice said.

_Say what?_

"You invited them?" both Carmen and I asked at the same time, incredulously. Our eyes immediately connected for a few too-long moments and I worked to rein in my excitement at the thought _him _being here. Carmen's face turned to one of curiosity and amusement as I hid my face under the curtain of my hair to hide the blush that took over my face.

Alice noticed my reaction as well when she answered, "Yeah, I invited them. Unfortunately, they had already made plans. That's why they couldn't make it tonight. I was afraid that you wouldn't want them here because of your aversion to dancing but I can see by the color of your face, you wouldn't have minded at all."

Both Alice and my mom giggled, but it was Carmen who saw something more behind my facade. I was grateful for her because she quickly changed the subject from Edward back to dancing.

"But seriously, Bella. About the dancing, you should at least try it out. You'll end up regretting it if you don't do this. Not only for Alice's wedding, because of course, that is very important. But also, for yourself. Trust me," Carmen finished.

Suddenly I felt guilty for having any negative feelings towards this woman who had offered me so much already, had been so hospitable, risking what could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Thankfully a knock on the door alerted us that a party was still going on and we made our way out, following Eleazar to the living room. The celebration seemed to have picked up a bit and it surprised me to see so many people here partying when most of us had to wake up the next day to go to work.

I jumped at the feel of a strong hand taking my right one, tugging to get my attention.

"May I have this dance from the birthday girl?" asked Eleazar, already leading me into the dance floor.

"Uh, El...um. I don't dance...especially Spanish music. I don't know how to..." I tried to explain as he waved me off.

"What? I am so sorry. I can't hear you, the music is too loud," Eleazar said, tapping his ear, pretending he couldn't hear me.

"Oh, how convenient," I said as I giggled at his silliness. I quickly took a glance around us. There were people cheering us on and others totally into their own conversations. I looked to Carmen to see if she minded me dancing with Eleazar but she seemed excited at the prospect of it. "Seriously though, I don't know how to dance."

"_Belita_," Eleazar called me the little nickname he'd given me once we started hanging out more as a group. "Please, don't break my heart. Don't worry. I know how clumsy you are and I won't let anything happen to you, okay?" After a bit of growling at his jab at my clumsiness, I finally relented to dancing with him.

"Now I'm going to teach you the basic steps of this music. This is called Bachata and it is from the Dominican Republic, very popular in the clubs today. It is very sensual but it can be romantic, too. Now, not too scare you too much, I'm going to just show you the basics, okay?"

All I could do was nod as my nerves started taking over. Even though a lot of the guests were in their own conversations, there were still many pairs of eyes that were watching us, possibly waiting for one of Bella's world famous slip-and-falls.

_Oh goody!_

"Now," Eleazar continued as he gently placed my left arm on top of his right shoulder, grasping my right hand with his while we faced each other. "Very easy, you're going to take two steps to your right then two steps to your left. And that's it. As long as you follow the rhythm of the song, you'll be fine."

_Yeah, easy for him to say._

I tried to pick up on the rhythm of the song that was currently playing. Though Eleazar was the DJ at my party, his thirteen year old nephew was taking care of the turntables, switching up the songs from upbeat songs to slower ones.

There was the sounds of both a guitar and bongos playing prominently in the background and surprisingly, I kept up with Eleazar as he occasionally twirled me around without causing any injuries to him, myself or any parties standing too close. Eleazar kept complimenting me throughout the three or four songs we danced to, with the occasional whoop from either Carmen or Alice, encouraging me to keep up the good job.

After a while my feet started to ache and I literally begged for a time out. Eleazar could go on all right if it were up to him- he would probably even dance in his sleep.

Sitting down to rest on one of the chairs along the wall, I was quickly joined by my mother, carrying a large plate of food for me which held all types goodies, along with a large drink. After I thanked her profusely for serving me, I took a look around at everything.

I was deeply loved. My family wasn't going anywhere. Yeah, we were all adults and we're doing our own thing but it wouldn't change the fact that they were as special to me as I was to them. It is silly that it took a surprise party to come to this realization when I'd already known this all along. Even Emmett was here to stay and even though we still had a lot to talk about, I felt complete once again.

"_Edward who?"_ I thought to myself, and smiled down to my plate as I lifted a drumstick to sink my teeth into.

My eyes landed on Carmen and Eleazar, both holding each other closely as they danced _Bachata_ together. The difference being not only their proximity but also the prowess they radiated at every turn and dip, how she knew the next move he was leading them into, how flawlessly it all seemed to be. They were the perfect couple on and off the dance floor.

This had cemented my long drawn out decision.

Emmett came to sit by me, watching me staring happily at the Herrera's dancing so well.

"So, I here you're not doing the ballroom lessons for Ali's party," Emmett asked.

I turned to look at my cousin, trying to convey with my face that I was in it for the ride. "No. I'm starting this Tuesday night along with you."

Emmett groaned and I turned back to my food, nervously counting down the time until Tuesday night.

* * *

**So, what did you guys think about Officer Rico Suave? What about Emmett's return from a mysterious year-long absence? And Carmen...what's up with her? About the chapter it...Let me know your theories.**

**_Okay, translation time (Spanish):_**

**_'¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Nena!"- _****Happy Birthday, girl!**

**"Gracias"- Thanks.**

**"...M'ija"- Girlfriend. Can also be my daughter, as it's a conjunction of "Mi" & "Hija" but it's used mostly as something you call your female friend in passing.**

**A/N: Thank you so much for sticking with me. It means a lot to me that you're still so patient with me.**

**And I promise, Edward comes back *Yay!* next chapter and is here to stay. **

**Check out my blog through my page to check out the basic styles of Bachata along with an Expert level Bachata (How I imagine Carmen and Eleazar dancing together.)**

_**Go to: **__**http://WWW (dot) LATINSTYLZGIRL (dot) BLOGSPOT (dot) COM **_

**Please press the button below that says "Review" and leave me some love. You guys are my inspiration. Well, other than Edward dancing, of course!**


	7. Baby Steps

**_Soooo... I have run out of patience and I decided to publish chapter seven as an early birthday present to myself and for my readers. _**

**_I apologize to my Twilighted readers since I cannot post it on that website for now. Nothing against them but my beta and validation beta are the same person and she is indisposed at the moment, and for good reason, too. _**

**_So if you catch a whole lot of mistakes on this chapter, please forgive me. It's all my fault. Not my awesome beta's fault, which by the way... _**

**_Congratulations Devilsgenie! She's about to pop out a tiny human being at any moment. It is definitely an exciting time for her and her family._**

**_In the meantime, this is chapter seven._**

**_As you know, Goshdarn it! It's not mine! The awesome Stephenie Meyer owns it. _**

* * *

The day of my birthday ended much better than the way it began. After the impossibly emotional day I'd endured, my body was exhausted. The rest of the party was spent dancing with my family and friends. Eleazar took me on the opened floor to dance more Bachata and Merengue, which he claimed I was getting better at. He was being so sweet with me and I gathered that Carmen had let him in on the details of my day.

I even danced with Emmett. After my mom had begged Emmett to let her rest, he'd turned his sights onto me as I tried to playfully run away from him. I could never keep up with Emmett when it came to dancing. No one could. While I avoided such dances as the spring formals in high school like the plague, Emmett was always there, front and center. He was always the life of the party, dancing from one girl to the next when they just couldn't keep up with him any longer.

So that's why I found myself running away until he caught up to me and I'd relented. I'd forgotten how much fun Emmett could be and the fact that he was back in my life, permanently was the greatest birthday present I'd received in a long time.

The party came to a close at around nine o'clock when Eleazar called out, "You ain't gotta go home but you have to get the hell up out of here!" Everyone thanked them for opening up their home for us. As for me, I was so grateful for everything they'd done; I refused to leave until we had their house cleaned up. Even though they kept refusing our help, Renee, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, and I left the place spotless by eleven that night.

"Thanks you guys for helping to clean up afterwards even though you didn't have to," Carmen said as we made our way to the front door.

"Yeah, that's right. Carmen could've taken care of that all her own. Wouldn't you, baby?" added Eleazar, which was responded with a resounding slap against his arm, causing us all to chuckle under our tired breaths.

"No, that's what we do for family," I said, giving them both a hearty embrace. "You guys are it and I'm so grateful for everything. Thank you so much." I said, once again trying to hold in my emotions.

"Ugh, you're definitely getting your period," Alice said, earning a groan from all the men. "Mine's coming up too."

"Yeah, mine too," Carmen added. "Isn't it funny how that works out? The closer you are to your girlfriends, the closer your periods are."

"Ooookay, ladies. I think it's time to get the hell up out of here, like El said, before we _all _get our periods together," Jasper said. We finally said our goodbyes for the night with a promise to keep in touch with each other during the week.

When we got home, I was so exhausted that I had to cut short my father's phone call to wish me a happy birthday so that I could finally rest. I felt bad for that and promised to call him back the next day.

The following day at school I'd found myself yawning so much, even my students were taking notice and they never noticed anything but themselves.

Monday had the same routine as always. My sixth grade Language Arts class was my first period, then two eighth grade classes for second and third hour. I was grateful for my planning period during fourth hour as it let me breathe from the first three periods. It was right before lunch period which was a nice hour and a half of no bratty, back-talking, whinny, spoiled, highly-emotional young teens.

_Guh...why did I become a teacher again?_

There was one exception to my otherwise customary day.

During my fifth period I received the most beautiful, albeit ostentatious bouquet of flowers and after having it confirmed that it _was _indeed for me, I found myself wondering who these were from.

These were exquisite. They weren't the random dozen roses that one would receive at any time. Roses are beautiful but these lilies said something more than just a simple message. These were breathtaking and they were trying to convey something deep and meaningful. Just by the way the lilies stood out like bright stars waiting to be wished upon, almost lighting up my classroom with its purity. These flowers were definitely special and I wondered who might've gone out of their way just for me. These certainly did not look cheap which made me a little anxious as to who would spend that much money just to send me flowers.

I mentally started going down a list of people that I thought would send me the amazing bouquet that sat on my desk while I assigned my seventh graders their assignment for the day. But no one would come to mind.

It didn't help when I looked at the card that came with the bouquet and all it said was,

"_**May you **__**live**__** all the days of your life."**_

_**Happy Birthday...**_

_No, that wasn't vague at all._

My mind went straight to Enrique. He was so sweet while we talked for that small amount of time before the party, always smiling with his very bright teeth and his really adorable dimple on his left cheek that I just couldn't take my eyes off of.

_But we only spoke for fifteen minutes. That couldn't have been him._

Then I thought about the very last person that should be passing through my mind right now. But I nipped that thought in the bud and I made myself a promise to train my brain to eliminate him from my mind.

There was only one other person I could think of.

Eric Yorkie. The science teacher here at Apollo Middle school. Or as the kids called him here, "Dorkie Yorkie".

Eric was...all right. He meant well, really. I'd come to learn of his interest in me a couple of months ago when Jasper noticed Eric noticing me... a lot. It was all a bit strange.

He would just stare at me during teacher's meetings until I would catch him in the act. Then he would nonchalantly face the other way only to be caught again, looking at me moments later.

One time he asked me to watch over his class during fourth period while he made a quick phone call in the office. It was my free period and I had no problem helping him out.

Little did I know that he was showing his eighth grade class "The Miracle of Birth". One of his students stood up to leave the classroom because they couldn't handle the graphic scene of a woman giving birth and fainted on his way towards the door. I called the nurse in the office through the intercom of the classroom and tried to fan some air over the student's face with the manila folder in my hand.

All of a sudden I felt a presence behind me and knew immediately that it was Eric. But instead of helping me with the student, I caught him looking at my butt, as it moved from side to side while I waved a manila folder over the eighth grader's face. I caught a couple of other students doing the same.

Just the thought of that made my skin crawl.

But other than that, he was a genuinely nice guy. Eric's eyes would bug out when he'd excitedly tell me of some new show he'd seen on the Discovery Channel. He had been really sweet this one time he offered me his lunch when I unintentionally left mine at home. I gratefully declined of course. Eric even stood up for me against a group of girls who were laughing at me when I'd tripped over nothing in the hallway. He bent down to make sure that I'd not been too badly hurt and for those things I was grateful.

Maybe _he _sent me the bouquet of flowers.

_Hmm, maybe I should thank him later._

After school I made my way back home with the bouquet of lilies in my hands, to rest a bit from the restless weekend. My mom left early this morning and though I was sad to see her go, I promised her that I would go visit her sometime in the next month.

Emmett was staying with us in the meantime on our pull-out bed in the living room until he could find his own place to stay. He had insisted to help pay rent but we just told him to pay our groceries since he's the one that eats like a bear anyway.

I was ready for bed when I went to give Emmett a hug. He asked me to pick him up for the lessons the next day.

"You're going with me tomorrow, right? I heard you pulled a no-show last week," Emmett said.

"Yeah, I told you yesterday that I am. I was just a bit scared, that's all. I should be fine now," I replied, trying not to think about what tomorrow was going to bring.

"Good," Emmett smiled. "Now, off to bed young lady. Chop, chop."

"Whatever, Em. Good night." I turned to make my way towards my bedroom when the beautiful bouquet of lilies caught my eyes once again. Even in the darkness of our apartment, they stood out brightly.

"Hey, you didn't send me those flowers, did you?" I asked, trying to hide my anxiety. Thankfully he was already stretched out on the pull-out and his arm lay across his face, covering his eyes as he yawned from exhaustion.

"If I tell you yes, will you make me your world famous lasagna?" he asked, trying to conceal his smirk.

"So, I take it that means _no_," I began towards my bedroom. "Good night."

Tuesday morning had pretty much gone like any other day. During the change between fifth and sixth period, I approached Jasper with my suspicions about Eric sending me the lilies for my birthday.

"I don't think he'd give that to you, Bella," Jasper said. "He's not that type. I think he would rather give you a year's subscription to National Geographic magazine or some kind of plant. I'll find out for you but like I said, there's not a chance in H-E-double hockey sticks that man would give you those flowers."

I thanked Jasper for his opinion but it didn't help quench my curiosity over who sent me the lilies.

Soon it was time to go to the studio and I was really nervous. As I parked out front by the meters, I tried to relax the tension that had been building inside of me all day by breathing slowly in and out. I was jealous of Emmett who sat on the passenger side -his seat pushed all the way to the back because his legs were so long- his arms up and tucked under his head, his eyes closed: the vision of relaxation. He wasn't the slightest bit nervous while I felt like I might bolt at any sign of copper. Thankfully Emmett didn't think anything of my tension and just brushed it off as nerves from learning the Waltz.

As soon as we stepped into the front desk area of the studio, I was greeted with the high pitched squeal of my best friend as she literally launched herself into my arms. Emmett had to hold me from the impact.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you Bella for being here," said Alice in a very rapid speed. "I'm so happy you're here. I promise you won't regret it and..."

"Alice, first of all, take it down a thousand, all right?" I whispered, trying to ignore all of the eyes that were suddenly interested in our exchange. When Jasper walked towards us, I took both of their hands and led them to the corner of the room, followed by Emmett. "Second of all, I'm so sorry, Alice, Jasper." They both looked at each other with confusion. "I should've been here last week. So many times you guys have been there for me and I let my fear of dancing (and Edward, though I wasn't going to tell them that) hold me down from helping make this as amazing an experience as it should be for your wedding. I was selfish and for that I'm sorry but I don't want to let you guys down anymore."

"Oh, Bella. We forgive you," Alice said as she hugged me tightly, followed by Jasper's embrace. "Besides, I wasn't worried. I knew you'd come," as Alice tapped her temple with her forefinger. "Remember, I _know _these things."

Both Jasper and I rolled our eyes and I continued on towards the front desk to help Emmett get registered for his classes. Jasper and Alice went to sit down at the chairs they previously occupied before we came in.

As Emmett and I stood by the reception desk, I looked around the front area. There were large potted plants at every corner of the room and the walls were painted a canary yellow. There were cork boards along the walls with a lot of announcements from dancing competitions to sale flyers for dancing shoes. Posters covered about half of the walls in the room with pictures of couples dancing everything from the Tango to the Jitterbug.

One picture stood out among the rest in the back of the room and I wondered how I had ever missed it. It was a picture of a beautiful blonde girl around ten years of age with one arm extended towards the air and the other on her hip. Her pink sequined dress was gorgeous and her face was covered with a thick layer of make-up and glitter. A short, skinny boy stood by her side also stretching his arms in different directions, dressed all in black. A beautifully crooked smile gracing his innocent face and his copper brown hair was slicked back with what appeared to be heavy amounts of gel. His smiling emerald eyes shone brightly with pride and joy and even at that age, it had me entranced. In front of them stood a very tall trophy that said, "Second Place- Edward A. Cullen and Rosalie L. Hale". I couldn't help but smile. It was a very good picture.

Other than the five of us including Jessica the receptionist, there were several other couples and I wondered if they were going to attend the same classes as us.

Jessica sat at the front desk while she typed in Emmett's information. Jessica had seen how good looking Emmett was and could not stop staring at him, constantly running her eyes all over his biceps.

Emmett didn't seem to notice her at all as he was concentrating on not making eye contact with two guys that were standing by the front door of the studio. One was tall and lanky with wavy blonde hair and light blue eyes. His baby blue buttoned down shirt pressed tightly against his slender torso and his khaki pants were immaculately pressed, stretching down towards his brown leather shoes. He wore a flirty smile on his face as he eyed Emmett up and down. The other man was shorter, more tan with curly brown hair, and dark eyes that were glaring daggers at Emmett. He had a canary yellow polo shirt that clung to his muscular chest as he stood with his arms crossed in front of him. His jeans were also very tight.

Suddenly the shorter one began to snap his fingers in front of the tall blonde's face and they began to argue silently, their hands waving around, making a show of their heated discussion. The short man shoved the other one lightly and began to walk away towards Emmett, still glaring at him the entire way. As he passed behind us, I thought I heard him say in a low voice, "Home wrecker". Looking at Emmett, the incredulous expression on his face confirming that the irate man did indeed just call him that, I gasped loudly before snorting in quiet laughter. I heard snickers behind me when I saw Alice and Jasper trying to contain their laughter to a low volume. The tall blonde passed by a moment later, walking slower, swaying his hips flirtatiously as he said in an even lower, huskier voice, "Hello there, Beefcake."

It wasn't until the blonde finally left the front area that we all but threw ourselves on the ground, holding our sides from the pain of holding in our laughter for so long. Even a young couple standing in the corner was wiping their eyes from the tears that were being coaxed by the hilarity of it all.

"Ha, ha. Very funny, you guys," huffed Emmett.

When Jessica was done with his information, we all made our way into the classroom, still laughing quietly at Emmett's expense.

But when we arrived at the room and I realized where we were, my laughter died immediately. I was so nervous that I had to tell myself to calm down. Jasper saw the tension in my shoulders and immediately massaged them.

"Baby girl, I'm so proud of you for being here," Jasper whispered in my ear, trying to soothe my nerves. "This means a lot to me and Allie and there is no one else we'd want to share this very special moment with than you and Emmett."

His words of encouragement began to calm my nerves but only a bit and I took a deep breath, waiting for the inevitable.

"Good evening, everyone!" called a deep voice from behind me that I recognized instantly and I was so grateful that he was going to teach the class.

"I see we have a new student here with us," Carlisle said, his British accent very apparent now as he approached Emmett who stood to my right. They shook hands as they introduced themselves. When Carlisle saw me, he winked at me and I felt my face warm bright red.

"Welcome back, Bella," he whispered by my ear. Carlisle's charm could be easily confused with flirtation but I knew he was only trying to be encouraging.

Immediately we were paired with our partner as we were made to stand side by side. We all took turns to introduce ourselves, just for the sake of the new people. We learned that the two men who were staring at Emmett earlier were in fact a couple. The tall blonde was Mike Newton and the shorter, angrier one was Tyler Crowley.

They were going to learn the waltz along with the rest of us and even though I tried to figure out how that was going to work, I thought it was pretty cool that they weren't being separated.

Another couple that was there were the Cheney's. Ben and Angela were a young, quiet couple who were newlyweds. They had loved the lessons here at the Cullen Dance Studio for their wedding so much that they decided to join again.

There was another couple who looked to be around their late thirties, early forties and seemed to be the complete opposite of what the Cheney's were. The woman was very beautiful, very poised but you could tell that she was surgically enhanced in some particular areas. She had fiery red hair that reached down mid-way down her back with green eyes that seemed almost cat-like. Her dress was very tight on her -_What was it with people here and tight clothes? - _with her huge boobs threatening to spill out of her V-neck blouse. I turned to look at Emmett who seemed to be drooling at the sight of her and it wasn't until I punched his arm hard that he woke up from his daydream. Her husband on the other hand, wore a faded blue Hawaiian print buttoned down shirt, khaki shorts that were wrinkled and sandals on his feet. His shoulder length dirty blonde hair was pulled up to a low ponytail, a couple of strands falling out of it. He had dull blue eyes and the stubble on his face made it seem as if he hadn't shaved in about a week. It was obvious that he didn't want to be here and was more intent on his blackberry than on his wife who seemed to be looking for Carlisle's attention. When they introduced themselves, it was more of a mumbled, "I'm James...that's Victoria."

An elderly woman introduced herself last and she was the sweetest thing. She didn't look to be taller than five feet and she was impeccably clothed in a purplish-blue flower print dress. Her light gray hair was neatly pinned up, not one strand out of place and her lips were painted a cherry red. Her name was Mrs. Evelyn Cope and she'd told a quick story about how she had always wanted to learn how to Waltz but with being married and raising six children, life hadn't given her an opportunity until now.

Once the introductions were done, we stood at our respective places as Carlisle began to instruct us. Some of us were in the front of the class, the ones that were obviously eager to learn- Alice and Jasper, Angela and Ben, Tyler and Mike. Mrs. Cope stood in the middle of the dance floor as she waited for Carlisle to be her partner for tonight.

Emmett and I stood in the back of the class along with Victoria and James. As James uninterestedly looked up from his blackberry, placing it on its cradle that was attached to his belt, his eyes saw me and he blatantly stared at me for an uncomfortably long time. It was beyond creepy but thankfully Emmett noticed and he cleared his throat loud enough to bring James out of his stupor and back to his wife, who was still watching for Carlisle.

"All right, everyone," Carlisle called out, seeking our attention. "Please take your Waltz holding positions with your partners." Carlisle walked towards Emmett and I to instruct us since it was our first week here. Well, more like Emmett's first week since I'd had a private lesson on Saturday. "I am going to show you how to take the basic hold for Waltz. Emmett, place your right arm underneath your partner's left arm, placing your hand against her shoulder blade." Emmett did as he was instructed and I followed with what I had already learned. "Bella, you remember where your arm goes do you?"

I blushed and nodded at the memory of his first lesson. I noticed Emmett's face going from confused to suspicious in two seconds flat. I ignored his expression, placed my arm where it should be and faced my left as Carlisle had shown me.

"Good Bella. You do remember. Emmett, you are to turn your face to your left just like Bella is." I could feel Emmett's posture was stiff around me and I wondered if he was trying to figure out how I knew all this already. "Emmett, hold your left hand up and hold Bella's hand like this...no, no. Not too tight, Emmett".

I winced at the strength in which he was holding my hand and he quickly softened his grip. "Sorry," Emmett mumbled lowly. I nodded, silently letting him know that I was okay.

"It's all right, Emmett," Carlisle chuckled. "It's your first time. Just try to relax and it'll make this experience much easier for the both of you."

"Caaaaar-liiiiiisle," a repugnantly sweet voice whined from the other side of the room and I noticed it was Victoria. James didn't seem too interested in the lesson and hadn't been holding his wife the correct way. The man seemed bored; the woman pouted and blinked her thick eyelashes at Carlisle, in a show of desperation. "We need help," Victoria cooed, pouting like a sick puppy and pushing her breasts out to get his attention.

I heard Carlisle sigh in exasperation and I thought I heard him mumble, "Yes, they need help: Couple's therapy." I snickered and Carlisle apologized for his comment. "Bella, can I trust you to take it from here?" I nodded. "Good- remember Emmett's the lead here, all right." I nodded again and he walked away to the couple having more than dancing issues.

"All right, Emmett. Keep facing your left like Carlisle said..."

"Carlisle? This is your first night here and you're already addressing him by his first name like you guys are buddy-buddy?" Emmett whispered harshly, his Boston accent coming through.

"What is your problem, Emmett?" I snapped back, trying to keep my voice low enough not to interrupt the other couples. Luckily, no one seemed to notice.

Soon Carlisle began calling out instructions, "Leads, place your right foot in between your partner's feet." Emmett's attention was brought back to the lesson at hand as he put the wrong foot right between mine.

"No Emmett, you're right not the left." I repeated and Emmett was getting flustered. Carlisle kept instructing the class but Emmett seemed to be confused with the directions. His body was still inflexible and we began to argue about his posture.

"Emmett, you need to relax. Take a deep breath and try to loosen up your muscles."

"Don't tell me what to do," he snapped, his voice hushed. "I know what I'm doing."

We stopped dancing as we continued to argue. I looked around the room to see Alice and Jasper glaring at us from their side of the room. Emmett's huffing brought me back after I smiled at them tightly, trying to get their attention away from us.

"Apparently not, since you seemed to be flustered with these simple instructions," I retorted.

"How do you know all of this Bella?" Emmett asked.

"That is none of your concern," I turned my head to face the left in order to avoid his gaze.

"The hell it is. Tell me what's going on," Emmett continued.

"Emmett, you're supposed to be listening to the instructions. Pay attention. Gosh, you're worse than my students!" Emmett scoffed and made to say something but I interrupted first. "Now your right foot is going to step forward in between my legs while my left leg steps back."

"Bella, I'm the lead here," Emmett grumbled under his breath.

"Then start acting like one!" I yelled, causing the rest of the students to stop and stare at us. My face burned from embarrassment and I nudged Emmett to continue.

"Are you guys okay over there?" Carlisle asked as he stood with Mrs. Cope, a look of concern on both their faces.

"We're fine," Emmett and I both answered tersely.

As Emmett made to step forward without telling me, he pressed his large foot on mine, his massive weight stomping down on it.

"Ouch! Emmett, that's my foot you're pounding into with your grizzly paw." I hissed in pain.

"Sorry!" he quipped, losing his patience. A moment later I felt him look up, anger still radiating from him. But his eyes seem to be looking somewhere behind me. "Hey, man. Do you have a staring problem or what?"

_What?_

Emmett was glaring daggers at whoever was behind me. I turned around to see who he was talking to and apologize for my cousin's rude behavior. But my voice caught in my throat at the Adonis staring at us with striking emerald eyes.

_Edward_.

There he was standing tall and rigid behind me at about ten feet away from us. His expression was guarded yet arrogant and his arms were crossed in front of his chest. Yet in all his pomposity, he was still as beautiful as he'd always been. I quickly looked away from him to keep from drooling over him like a moron and saw my cousin in his fight stance: his big shoulders slouched forward, his fists clenched at his sides, his facial expression feral. I could almost see him turn green with a massive vein popping out of his forehead, as he yelled, "You make Hulk aaanngryyyyy!" I knew what he would call this stance. This would be his "I'm about to throw down" stance and I needed to cool him down before we got kicked out of here.

"I said, do you have a staring problem, dude?" Emmett asked again, a little louder than before and I was mortified at the attention we were getting from everyone. I noticed Mike from a distance jumping up and down on his feet, waiting for a fight to begin -possibly in the hopes of seeing two hot guys getting ready to rumble. "You've been standing there staring at us for the last ten minutes and if you don't back off, you and I are gonna have problems, you feel me?"

Edward didn't even flinch. He seemed to be unaffected by my cousin's threat.

"Emmett," I whispered, wrapping my arms around his massive bicep, trying to hold him back. It didn't escape me that Edward's nose flared in what looked like anger for just a second at the sight of my arms embracing Emmett and then looked away. "He's just one of the teacher's here."

Determined to not let this man get to me any longer, I turned to face him and held my head high as I finally spoke to him.

"I apologize for Emmett's behavior. It was uncalled for and it won't happen again." I turned around and tried to push Em away but he was hard to budge. I looked up to see Emmett's face become repentant.

"Hey, man. I'm sorry," Emmett apologized, lifting his hand to shake Edward's as a peace offering. Everyone in the room seemed to breathe out at the same time. Jasper and Alice still gawking at us with underlying annoyance. Carlisle's expression careful and wary as he continued to instruct the rest of the class.

Edward seemed to be pondering about something as he just stood there in front of us. It was only for just a moment but it was long enough for Em and I to notice that Edward hadn't made a move to shake his hand. Emmett's stance was becoming rigid again with anger as he didn't appreciate it when people left him hanging. Personally, I was over his little superiority act and if Edward were to disrespect us in any way again, I'll have to put him in his place.

In two swift steps, Edward stood just a few inches away from me and my heart began palpitating faster at the electricity that rolled off of him in waves, connecting with mine like a magnet to steel. The close proximity of his body brought his scent with him and I held my eyes from rolling back.

And I thought Carlisle smelled good.

It was nothing compared to Edward and though I had been able to inhale his sweet and husky scent back in Cameo, this time it seemed more potent. Maybe the stink of cigarettes and cheap beer kept drowning it and now it was threatening my knees to buckle.

And then the most beautiful sound I had never heard before...

"Get into your positions," he commanded, his smooth voice like velvet was loud enough to make me jump a little. Emmett was cursing under his breath as we took our places. Again we turned to face our left as instructed by Carlisle. His arm carried mine on one side as we connected our hands.

"You need to pick up your head, Mr. McCarty. When you're the lead, you are to command the dance floor and not only show confidence but also to display your partner as if she were a gift to the world."

_A gift to the world? Swoon!_

_Stop it, Bella!_

Okay I had to admit that was beyond lame but my brain seemed to always turn to mush standing anywhere this man and I needed to interrupt him and his Nazi dance training. We were here to learn a couple of dances for a wedding, not to be a part of a competition and his arrogance was really grating on my nerves.

I could see that Emmett was becoming flustered all over again as he worked to hold his tongue from lashing out. Emmett had always been genuinely polite but one thing he never cared to respect were people who thought they were better than him and shoved their arrogance and superiority in his face. Everything from hellish teachers in school to cops who had nothing better to do than to check his plates to see if his car belonged to him. He couldn't stand any of them and Edward was clearly moving up the ranks of people my cousin highly disliked.

"Loosen up, Mr. McCarty," Edward continued, moving towards Emmett to try a place his arms and head correctly. "When it comes to the Waltz, you must show grace in all your movements and if you keep looking like that, it's going to be obvious to the audience that you lack confidence."

The moment Edward planted his hands on my partner's shoulders, Emmett dropped his arms from underneath mine and stepped back as if he were trying to hold himself back from swinging at Edward.

"First of all, do not call me Mr. McCarty. That is the name of my deadbeat father and I'm not a chump like him. Second of all, you aren't the teacher for this class so how about you back up off of me and walk away before I make you regret ever glancing my way."

Instead of taking Emmett's word and walking away, Edward moved forward and a bit too close for comfort in front of him. Edward really needed to be the bigger man but for some reason, he didn't seem to fear him. But I've seen what Emmett can do to a man. I've seen him get into fights with men twice his size and walking with a few minor cuts and bruises. Edward needed to be afraid. Heck, I was afraid for him.

"Mr. McCarty," Edward whispered threateningly. "First of all, it is obvious that you cannot follow simple instructions. I nearly came to help you learn the proper ways to hold your partner as it is apparent that by the end of the night, she will be injured with your lack of knowledge and grace. Second of all, never in your natural life will you threaten me again. Because you see Mr. McCarty," _Again with the "Mr. McCarty" crap. _Edward really needed to stop. "This is a place of business, established by my parents over twenty years ago and not a bar. You wouldn't want to be the one responsible to get your party kicked out of this school because you couldn't control your temper, now do you?"

Edward and Emmett stood rigidly still right in front of the other, neither one of them wanting to back off. I walked up to the couple and stood right between them. Placing a hand against Emmett's chest and pushing him off, hoping that he'd get the hint, I turned to look Edward directly in the eyes. It was something that I hadn't done since we first met in Cameo but this time I wouldn't be falling all over him. This time I was disgusted with his haughtiness and lack of manners. How could I have ever fallen for someone like him? I know why. Because this was not the Edward that I first knew. We didn't speak to each other those nights at the club but I felt like we had really connected and the fact that he was being absolutely rude, not only had me afraid of him but disappointed.

"Mr. Cullen, I'm a teacher in middle school and every day my students push me to the limits. One or two of them even argue with me on a daily basis because that's how they react when I reprimand them. But I would never threaten them. I would never make them feel inferior to me. I would never disrespect them the way you did with Emmett. Now we are all adults and I would think that childish attitudes should be left to children but you have shown me how very little you know about being a teacher, an educator, and a role model. Now I've met both of your parents before today and they were genuinely polite and friendly with me. But I see you standing here acting like this and I cannot connect you to them. If it weren't for Carlisle and Esme, you wouldn't need to get our party kicked out. We would've left long ago. So do not ever in _your _natural life approach us again especially in that despicable manner in which you've treated us today or so help me, you will come to regret it. And that, Mr. Cullen, is not a threat. It's a promise."

The tension was thick in the air as we stood at a small distance from each other. It felt like two magnets: the force of our energies battling with each other as we glared intensely at one another. By the end of my monologue, Emmett had backed up like I had hoped he would and placed his massive palm gently on my shoulder. Still glaring at Edward, I saw his rigid pose relax, his shoulders slumped forward remorsefully and his face soften in regret. He swallowed hard and took a step back as Carlisle walked over to him, placing his hand on his son's shoulder. Carlisle leaned to whisper something in Edward's ear and whatever the message was, the son seemed to become nervous, almost even scared. I had never seen Carlisle's face contort in anger that way. The hard lines on his face made him look older and the disappointment of his son's actions was evident. After two small pats on the back from Carlisle, Edward took one last look at me, his eyes regretful, and walked away.

Carlisle stood for a moment, working to compose himself as he began to walk towards me. "I apologize for my son's behavior. It was completely uncalled for and very unprofessional. I can assure you that he's never done that before and that he will never disrespect you like that again." He was saddened and embarrassed at this turn of events but I wouldn't hold that against him. Unfortunately, I had lost the excitement of learning to Waltz tonight and I smiled at him, letting him know that we were quitting for the night.

"We're going home now. I've just...you know," I tried to explain, hoping he would understand my deflation. "Have a good night and I'm sorry for leaving early."

"Please do not apologize, Isabella. You have nothing to be sorry for. I fully understand. Emmett," Carlisle turned to my cousin, holding his hand up, hoping to convey his apologies with the gesture.

At this I didn't know how Emmett would react. Would he shake hands with Carlisle and truly let bygones be bygones? Or would he do it just to appease me and then quit the whole dancing thing? Or worse, would he refuse to shake hands and make this an even more uncomfortable situation? I breathed a sigh of relief when Emmett smiled his goofy smile and shook hands with Carlisle.

"Wow, son. You're grip is quite strong," Carlisle said, stretching and shaking his hand from Emmett's forceful hold.

Emmett blushed, which hardly ever happened but it was funny to see on a man his size, and quickly said, "Sorry." After a moment, he added, "And we'll see you next week, yeah?"

Carlisle sighed in relief as if he might've thought we weren't coming back which was ridiculous because not only did Alice love this place, I surprisingly did too. I nodded my head in agreement and Carlisle's smile came back with full force.

After saying our goodbyes to Alice, Jasper, Carlisle and the rest of the class, we headed out of the school. I thought I had seen a glimpse of bronze somewhere in the vicinity of the office but kept walking fast to keep up with Emmett.

Finally getting in the car and pulling out to head back to Miami, Emmett laid his seat back as he'd done on our way over to the school and breathed loudly.

"What a night, huh? Can you believe the nerve of that guy? He was lucky I held myself back because if I didn't, he would've..."

"Emmett," I cut him off.

"What?"

"Shut up."

"Excuse me?" he asked incredulously. "Why you gotta be like that, Bells?"

"Because, Em. This night was as much your fault as it was his." Before he began complaining again, I put one hand up while the other steered us back west on Hollywood Blvd. Stopping at the red light before hopping on I-95, I stared straight at his face, hoping my words would reach his stubborn brain and get stuck. "You are not thirteen years old, Emmett. This is not Boston where you had to show how much of a man you were by picking fights with people. You need to grow the hell up and control your temper. Otherwise we're going to end up going through another long period of time in which we won't speak to one another. Only this time, I'll be the one to start it."

"I know this ain't Boston, Bells," he began. "I know I have to get my attitude in check. But he don't know me like that and he was trying to make me feel like I wasn't good enough. You know how I hate it when people try to make me feel like that."

"Emmett, no one can make you feel like you're not good enough. You can never let anyone control you like that."

It was quiet for a few minutes as I let Emmett think over what I just said. He sighed noisily and very quickly I looked to see him as vulnerable as the day he came to live with us. After everything that had happened with him and his mom, Emmett, at the age of fourteen, was a shell of himself and it had taken a long time to bring him back to life. He obviously felt bad for tonight and for the almost year we'd spent without communication. He steeled himself as if he were ready to tell me some big secret.

"Bells," he started. "I have to tell you something. The real reason why I'm back."

* * *

_**So what do you think? Who do you think sent her those flowers? And what do you think about Emmett and Edward's beef?**_

_**Please leave me reviews since it'll be my birthday in a few days, it'll be your gifts from you to me. I know, shameless! ;)**_


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